Document Type
Finding Aid
Collection Date
1895-1960s
Finding Aid Date
10-7-2015
Identifier
MS Fay, TP
Description
All physical materials associated with the New England Province Archive are currently held by the Jesuit Archives in St. Louis, MO. Any inquiries about these materials should be directed to Jesuit Archives. Electronic versions of some items and the descriptions and finding aids to the Archives, which are hosted in CrossWorks, are provided only as a courtesy.
Recommended Citation
New England Jesuit Province Archives; New England Province of the Society of Jesus; and Fay, Thomas P. SJ, "Thomas P. Fay, SJ Papers" (2015). Finding Aids, Special Collections. 22.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/findaid_nen_spcoll/22
COinS
Comments
Biographical Sketch:
Thomas P. Fay was born on August 29, 1905, to Michael J. and Catherine E. (Brown) Fay. He was educated at Boston College High School then went on to Boston College, graduating with an AB degree in 1929. He then completed a course of study at Notre Dame, graduating with an MA in Boy Guidance in 1931. He entered the Society of Jesus on September 14, 1931 and attended Shadowbrook novitiate in Lenox,MA. His juniorate was also at Shadowbrook from 1933-1935 and then he attended Weston College, Weston, MA from 1934-1936 studying Philosophy. His regency was spent at Boston College, teaching sociology and English in 1936, followed by study at Weston College in Theology from 1937-1941. He was ordained a priest on June 22, 1940. Rev. Fay then spent a year of tertianship at St. Roberts Hall in Pomfret,CT from 1941-1942, then a year at Cranwell School, Lenox, MA, as the prefect of discipline from 1942-1943, followed by a year teaching second year students at Boston College High School from 1943-1944. April 30, 1944 until June 24, 1946, Rev. Fay served as a U.S. Army Chaplain, serving in Germany and France. After the war, Rev. Fay spent a year serving as Assistant Director of the Institute of Social Order (ISO) in St. Louis from 1946-1947, then a year at Boston College, teaching theology from 1947-1948. From 1948-1949, he served as chaplain for the U.S. Army and in 1949 was named director of devotion to the Sacred Heart in Boston, a position held until 1956. From 1954 -1956, he also taught at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. From 1956-1957, Rev. Fay was the assistant director for the apostleship of prayer for the New England Province then in 1957 he served in St. Louis as editor of “Queen’s Work” until 1959. From 1959 until 1961, he was assistant prefect of discipline at Boston College High School in Boston,MA and from 1961 until 1966 was Retreat Director at Manresa Retreat House, Ridgefield,CT. From 1966 until 1967, Rev. Fay was curate of Immaculate Conception Church and director of the Matt Talbot Center. From 1967 until 1969, Rev. Fay was assistant director of the province mission office and from 1969 until 1970 he served as the assistant director of the Sacred Heart Program. From 1970 until 1978 he was the assistant chaplain at the Boston City Hospital. From 1978 until 1980, he also served at St. Edward’s Parish,Brockton,MA and from 1980 until his death in 1988 he served the Holy Ghost Parish in Whitman,MA. A note on his biographic record states “The many changes do not indicate that he was shallow in any fashion; it better connotes he was ready to step into any hole that Superiors desired filled.”
Scope and Content:
The collection consists largely of photographs, scrapbooks, travel guides, and correspondence primarily documenting Rev. Fay’s time as Chaplain during World War II, although there are some family photographs dating back to 1895. Much of the collection is made up of photographs from his Chaplaincy in the U.S. Army during World War II in France and Germany, with numerous images of the Orphanage at Celle,France and images of camp life. Scrapbooks of his time in Europe are also part of this collection.
The paper records from this collection consist of correspondence to his family from Europe and travel guides for Rome, France, and Belgium produced for soldiers. It also includes a papal citation and medal for his chaplain work during the war.