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July 8, 2019Deacon Tom McClelland, a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Marquette, graduated from Michigan Tech in 1963, a year before St. Albert the Great Parish formed.
Tom arrived on campus in the fall of 1959 as a “lukewarm Protestant freshman,” studying metallurgical engineering and serving in the Air Force ROTC. In 1961, he met his wife Mary Anne, who invited him to Mass at St. Patrick Church in Hancock.
“It was pre-Vatican II, and the smoke, bells, Latin, and mystery of the Mass deeply intrigued me. I wanted to understand more about the Catholic Church, and the Catholic chaplain on campus, Rev. Bill McGee, welcomed me to meet with him repeatedly over the next 12 months.”
Tom says he attended weekday Mass with Fr. McGee in the chapel in the basement of the Newman House on campus. In 1962, he received conditional Baptism, First Reconciliation, and First Holy Communion, and was confirmed in 1963.
“Fr. McGee surprised me one day by reaching into his pocket and handing me the gift of his rosary. ‘Here, be sure you pray with this!’ I cherish and use his rosary to this day, 56 years later.
Tom says he has reflected through the years that at Michigan Tech, “thanks to the Holy Spirit, I found my faith, my family, and my first career as an Air Force officer for 24 years. God led me through all of this, and, in 2006, I received the Sacrament of Holy Orders.” Tom and Mary Anne have been married 55 years, have four sons, and 12 grandchildren.
