Thomas Michel was born in 1941 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. His parents were devout Catholics. His father worked at the US Postal Service. He had three other siblings. He joined the diocesan major seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1967.
He was fascinated with Islam and decided to the Society of Jesus in Indonesia in 1971, in order to work among his Moslems friends. When he was a teacher in Indonesia, his Muslim students asked him, “If you want to study Christianity, why don’t you consider studying Islam as a bridge for the followers of both religions to better understand and recognize their faiths?”
He became a senior fellow at the Georgetown’s Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, and taught theology at the Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar. He completed his PhD in Islam at the University of Chicago. He also studied Arabic in Egypt and Lebanon and had the opportunity to get to know Muslim leaders in several countries. His life was dedicated to promote a deep friendship between Christians and Muslims.
He lived in Turkey several times, sometimes for a considerable length of time. He as invited to give lectures on Christianity at the theological faculties of Konya, Izmir, and Ankara. When he came to Konya to deliver a six-month training program, Fr. Michel said, “I had rented an unfurnished detached house, so I went out to buy some things. On my way home, as I was carrying the floor mattress I had bought on my back, the neighbors asked who I was and what I was doing. I told them that I was American and that I had come to the Selcuk University as an instructor. They asked what I taught, and I told them that I was a lecturer at the Faculty of Theology. ‘Then you are a Muslim,’ they said, and I replied, ‘No, I am a Christian and I teach Christianity.’ Some neighbors accompanied me home. Soon they brought tables, chairs, and kitchen utensils. My house was ready in an instant.
The next day, I said to myself, ‘Okay,’ and left the house without locking the door. When I came back from the university, I was surprised by the sight! There was food in the kitchen, my clothes were ironed, and the house was tidy. This continued for the six months I was there.” On the last day, before leaving, to thank the gentlemen and ladies who prepared food for him and helped him daily, Fr. Michel asked the person he had seen waiting outside his door “Can you put me in touch with them? He said, ‘There is no need. Because these people did it for the sake of God, not for you. And since He sees it all, there is no need.’
“This answer touched me deeply and I will always remember it as a living example of the truth of Jesus Christ’s saying, ‘The good deed of one hand should not be seen by the other.’”
He says that he always advises everyone, especially Christians, that if they receive an invitation from Muslims to iftar dinners or other programs, they should attend. I tell them, ‘Meet them. You will see that these occasions open doors to so beautiful friendships.’”
He served as the Head of the Office for Relations with Muslims at the Vatican between 1981 and 1994. He was also the Secretary for Interreligious Affairs for the Catholic Bishops of Asia between 1994 and 2008.
Among his many experiences of dialogue, he recalls one that profoundly moved him: “When I visited Zamboanga, in the south of the Philippines, because of the conflict between Christians and Muslims, to see what could be done to establish peace and tranquility between the peoples of the region, I saw a building in the middle of the conflict and a signboard with the words ‘International Tolerance School.’ I walked inside with my team and saw it was an educational institution where Christian and Muslim children received education together. Witnessing this Hizmet school standing like an island of peace amidst conflicts and tensions, and witnessing the educational activities carried out there, we once again realized the importance of the Hizmet Movement’s contributions.”
In his last years he moved to Thailand and became a teacher at the Xavier Learning Center, in Chiang Rai, where he worked until his death. Fr. Tom was a wise scholar who dedicated his life to education and interfaith dialogue. He was a good man with a big heart.
Rest In Peace ( 5 February 1941 - 24 November 2025)
