During a Palm Sunday Mass in 2020, Fr. Tom Domurat sat down while reading the Passion. The beloved longtime pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in East Boston had reached a point where he had to sit to avoid passing out from exhaustion. Hours later, he felt as though he could barely walk.
This sudden bout of fatigue was rather surprising for Fr. Tom, an extremely active person whose exercise routine consisted of regular bike rides through the streets of East Boston. Four days after that Palm Sunday Mass, Fr. Tom became increasingly alarmed as his symptoms intensified. Not only could he barely stand or walk, he could barely breathe.
Fearful that he may have contracted the COVID-19 virus and unable to get through to his doctor’s office, Fr. Tom placed a call to Clergy Trust’s Care Team. After hearing how badly Fr. Tom was coughing and struggling to breathe, the Care Team member urged him to hang up and call 9-1-1 immediately.
Soon after, Fr. Tom was rushed to the hospital where his outlook only grew bleaker. He even shared with his brother, Tony, that he had begun writing his will. For nearly two weeks, neither Tony nor the Care Team heard anything from him; all they could do was hope and pray that their worst fear wouldn’t come true.
Ten days after Fr. Tom was admitted to the hospital, Clergy Trust received a most joyous phone call—it was Fr. Tom, fully recovered from COVID and feeling as healthy as ever!
Fr. Tom is certain that the Clergy Trust Care Team saved his life by advising him to immediately call for an ambulance that day. Had he not made that call so swiftly, this story might have a very different ending.
Thanks in large part to Clergy Trust’s support, Fr. Tom has returned to not only his bike but more importantly the altar, a second-chance opportunity he certainly doesn’t take lightly. “It is my life to serve the people, and I just love saying Mass and bringing them the sacraments,” says Fr. Tom, who’s served as a priest for more than 40 years. “And I really feel that God has blessed me. I know I was close to death, and I know a lot of people prayed for me. I feel I have come back from this to serve God and serve the people.”
