Hundreds Turn Out to Pay Respects to Father Thomas Plathottam

On Tuesday evening, hundreds of people streamed into in Ellington to say goodbye to the .

Plathottam, who passed away while in the Philippines, was laid to rest on Tuesday with his family in India. In his honor, his church held a memorial mass so that people could pay their respects.

The night included a beautiful, standing room only mass with scripture readings, singing, and people sharing memories of their beloved pastor.

Deacon Harry Grospitch remarked how Father Tom, as he was affectionately known, had a way with remembering names and could always remember them, no matter how long ago it was that he had seen you last.

He also talked about how when Plathottam came to the church 12 years ago, the church had no money.

“Today, after 12 years under the leadership of Father Tom, the parish is on very solid ground and has no outstanding debts,” he said.

Grospitch said that before Plathottam left for the Philippines, they talked about what his plans were for when he returned.

“He talked about a few different options, but as yet, had nothing definite,” he said. “However, he kept coming back to his desire to go out and work as a missionary. I’m sure father never expected what actually took place, but I keep hearing him telling us again, ‘Be prepared because you never know when your time will come.’”

In the opinion of many, Plathottam had done well in his 64 years.

“When we arrive at the end of our journey on Earth, I’m sure that each of us will want to hear the same words that I’m sure our pastor heard from Jesus, and those words are, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant, come and share your master’s joy,’” Grospitch said.

Nancy Rudek, who came on as the Director of Religious Education in 2006 said that Plathottam’s smile was the first thing that caught her eye.

“It was warm, and it was genuine,” she said.

She said that over the past five years, she had the privilege to get to know him and his passion for his parish family.

“I have a sense that what he did was not for him, but for the people he truly felt were his family here at St. Luke’s,” she said. “He was truly proud of each and every one of them.”

When Plathottam came to the church in 1999, the parish was in turmoil. Many families had left for other parishes. Plathottam turned that around.

“I am totally in awe of how he and the parish have come through some hard times, still keeping the focus on building trust as well as maintaining the growth of this parish,” Rudek said.

She later added, “Here at St. Luke’s, Father Tom was always trying to mend bridges. Sometimes he was successful, and sometimes he wasn’t, but that’s okay, he made the effort.”

Rudek also recalled Plathottam’s spirit and his spunk.

“All I have to say is that I do hope that God is ready for Father Tom. If anyone can place the challenge to God, it’s our Father Tom,” she said, which received loud laughter from the crowd.

Everyone was shocked by news of Plathottam’s death and it is something that everyone is still dealing with.

“Our faith, we know, has so many mysteries that until that day that we are called we will not know what the answers are,” Rudek said. “Father Tom’s death at 64 is truly a major mystery in my life. I will miss him. Let us remember the good that has been done here by Father Tom as our pastor and always remember him in our hearts as an advocate, a shepherd, and a friend.”

Rosemary Martocchio, who is involved in many things at the church, spoke of things that came to her mind when she heard of Plathottam’s passing.

“Who could have imagined that a smile as big as the universe would now only be seen in a photograph?,” she said. “Who could have imagined that a personality so dynamic would suddenly become a quiet memory? Who could have imagined that such energy, many times greater than a nuclear power source, could ever be extinguished? It’s hard to fathom.”

She said that what lives on is what Plathottam taught them, that you can do it, and you can do it big.

“His stature may have been small, but his spirit was gigantic,” she said. “There was never a time in the years that he was with us, or in his life for that matter, that failure was ever an option. He had a unique way of getting us all involved and making whatever was on his radar screen happen. As much as we would sigh, the end product was always well worth our efforts.”

She also echoed the sentiments of how Plathottam helped to rebuild a broken parish.

“He helped us come together as a family,” she said. “By asking us to set aside our differences, to forgive past hurts, and to learn to open our hearts again. Father Tom brought our parish to life again. He stole our hearts, made us laugh, and helped us grow personally and spiritually.”

Martocchio also spoke to Plathottam’s energetic nature.

“Can’t you picture him running around Heaven, searching for family members, and telling them all about us?,” she said. “He’d have quite a few stories to tell. And he’s probably already made a checklist of things that need to be done in Heaven and on Earth.”

Martocchio said that as everyone says thier final Earthly goodbyes to Plathottam, they should remember a priest who created a beautiful parish family, a powerhouse who could accomplish just about anything, and a friend who cared about each and every one of them – even when his mind was on the next project that had to be done.

“We can be certain that he will be at the gates of Heaven, ready to welcome us home, when our time comes – and he knows us all by name,” she said.