Fr. Thomas Gafney, S.J.

This essay was framed from the article by Jerry Drinane in JIVAN, February 1998.

Fr. Tom Gafney was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 28, 1932. He joined the Jesuits in September 1952 and came to Nepal in 1959 after doing his philosophy studies at West Baden, Indiana. He had regency at St. Xavier’s Godavari, and then went to India for theology and tertianship.

Fr. Tom returned to Kathmandu in 1967 after his Jesuit training, and he began working in the schools, which at that time was the main work of the Jesuits in Nepal. He was vice-principal and teacher at St. Xavier’s Godavari in 1967-68, then treasurer, teacher, and rector at St. Xavier’s Jawalakhel, from 1969 To 1976. In the meantime, he became director of the Social Service Centre for the region, and this became his full-time job from 1976.

Fr. Tom began his Social Service Centre in a house close to St. Xavier’s School, Jawalakhel. He used to go into the streets and gather the homeless boys from the city. The main goal of his venture was to give them education, a home, arid paternal love. Being well aware of the psychological needs of the boys, he designed the appearance of the building with multi-coloured bricks, and the place had a really cheerful look. He also took care of their physical growth by introducing various sports activities such as Taekwondo, a form of martial art, for the boys. They were very happy and full of fun.

Gradually, Fr. Tom expanded his work, and established other centres in the city. Somehow Tom managed to do all the good things most of us would like to do. He saw the effects of drug-addiction on the youth of Nepal, and he began detoxification programmes, he founded Mukti Kendra (Freedom Centre), to help them. He also had a heart for the handicapped. This led him to open a centre for the handicapped at Nakipot. Many a time he would take a child, or even adult, for heart surgery or to get an artificial limb or any special treatment, to India or any other country where the care was available.

In recent years, he gave a lot of time and attention to the victims of AIDS. Money was no consideration. Fr. Tom would somehow find enough money to help those who needed it for the treatment. He attended international conferences on drug addiction, and took handicapped children for special “Olympics” in Nepal or abroad. He treated them just like ordinary human beings, which was just what they needed. He never forgot his priesthood, and was, for many years, the spiritual director of IBMV Sisters. Underlying all his social action was a deep spirituality and the Jesuit charism. Though he resided outside a Jesuit community, he was frequently present for meals at Jawalakhel at HRDRC (where he had his last supper on the night of Dec. 13, 1997).

Fr. Tom was a person who took a “prophetic stand.” He could not tolerate corruption or inefficiency. He was not afraid to confront anyone who he thought was exploiting or profiting from the funds intended for the poor or outcasts of society. He did not hesitate to denounce corruption in the columns of the Kathmandu newspapers. In doing so, he certainly made enemies among the rich and powerful. In the morning of December 14, 1997, his body was found on his bed in the small bungalow where he lived alone, by one of the workers. There were deep knife wounds on his neck, and much blood all around his body. The door was closed, but not locked, and did not seem to have been forced open. His death came as a terrible shock to the Nepal Jesuits, and to all who knew him.

Fr. Torn was a sociable person. with a wry sense of humour, a ready smile and an amusing joke or story. He, like most of us, was faced with the choice of keeping quiet and going along with a system, or speaking against the evils of society. He chose the latter. We will all miss his smile, his jokes, his companionship, but most of all we will miss his witnessing to the value of the Gospel, the values of Christ.