Rev. Thomas Patrick Norris, OSFS, OSFS (1946-2026)

Rev. Tom Norris, OSFS

With sadness, but with faith in the Resurrection, we announce that our brother, Rev. Thomas Patrick Norris, OSFS, passed away on Friday, January 9, 2026, after a brief illness. Father Norris was 79 years old. He was a professed member of the Oblates for 60 years and a priest for 52 years. A teacher, superior, pastor, and friend, Fr. Norris was a dedicated Oblate and priest.

Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on February 28, 1946, he was the son of Richard Norris and Margaret (Huber) Norris. Tom attended St. Theresa of the Child Jesus grade school and Bishop McDevitt High School. Following graduation, Tom entered the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and made his first profession of vows in 1965. He spent the next two years teaching at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia.

Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (now DeSales University) in 1970. He continued his theological studies at De Sales School of Theology in Washington, D.C. and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Gerald McDevitt on June 16, 1973, at Our Lady of Ransom Parish in northeast Philadelphia.

After ordination, Fr. Norris was assigned to Father Judge High School as a teacher and chairman of the theology department. At Judge, Fr. Norris was well liked and respected among students, faculty, and staff. Many graduates recall his kindness and dry sense of humor. During this time, he received his M.A. degree in English from Villanova University. Fr. Norris left Father Judge in 1980 and was assigned to Holy Name High School in Reading, PA. At Holy Name, he was a teacher and religious superior.

In 1983, Fr. Norris went to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA as a teacher and religious superior of the Oblate community. In 1990, when his term as superior ended, Fr. Norris took a sabbatical and studied at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.

Oblate Fathers Patrick O'Connor, Tom Norris, and Baiju Paul Puthussery after their vow renewal (2023)

When he returned to the United States, Fr. Norris began his long association with the Catholic community in North Carolina. He initially moved to the Tar Heel State to serve as campus minister at Greensboro College, Guilford College, and University of North Carolina, Greensboro. After two years in college ministry, Fr. Norris was assigned to parish ministry, serving as assistant pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHM) in High Point, NC. In 1997, Fr. Norris was transferred to St. Mary Parish in Goldsboro, NC, where he was parochial vicar. Once more, “Fr. Tom” (as he became known in North Carolina) became an integral part of the local community and was noted for his dedication to the people of the parish. In 2004, he was named pastor of St. Mary’s.

When he let Goldsboro in 2012, Fr. Tom returned to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. He always loved the people of High Point and they loved him. Amid staffing issues and other challenges in the parish, Fr. Tom remained a gentle and supportive presence.

In 2017, Fr. Tom was asked to take on the responsibility of acting pastor. Once more, he accepted his assignment with grace and goodwill.

In his last few years, as aging and health issues slowed him down, Fr. Tom never wavered in his commitment to the church or the people of IHM. He was always willing to help in any way he could. He never stopped serving. On the morning he died, Fr. Tom was getting ready to celebrate a funeral mass for a parishioner he had just visited and anointed earlier in the week.

Fr. Norris is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Dennis. He is survived by his parish family and his Oblate confreres.

May he rest in peace.

Funeral Arrangements:

The viewing for Fr. Tom Norris will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in High Point, NC. An additional viewing will be held on Friday, January 16 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the church. The Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 AM.

On Wednesday, January 21, there will be a Memorial Mass for Fr. Norris at Our Lady of Light Chapel at the Oblate Retirement Center in Childs, MD. Visitation will be from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. The Mass will begin at 11:30 AM, followed by lunch. Burial will be in private at the Oblate Cemetery at Childs.

Condolences may be sent to the Provincial Superior of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales:

Rev. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS

2200 Kentmere Parkway

Wilmington, DE 19806