Chancery Notice: The passing of Msgr Anthony Thomas

Monsignor Anthony Thomas (aged 80), who served in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur from 1965 till his retirement in June 2013, passed away peacefully on 24th September at 2.30pm at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged, Cheras, where he had been residing since his retirement.

Monsignor Thomas was a gifted and proficient musician who had contributed greatly to the repertoire of hymns, responsorial psalm musical settings and mass ordinaries widely used in the local Church and beyond. He is also fondly remembered as a ‘great builder of community centres’.

The late Monsignor Thomas served as parish priest in the following parishes in the archdiocese:

1. Church of St Joseph, Sentul (1971 to 1972; 1976 to 1982 and from 1982 to 1991)
2. Church of the Visitation, Seremban (1991 to 1998)
3. Church of the Sacred Heart, Jln Peel (1998 to 2008)
4. Church of St Aloysius, Mantin (2008 to May 2013)

To honour his many years of faithful service to the Church, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI conferred him the ‘Honorary Prelate’ in December 2010, which carries with it the privilege to use the honorific ‘Monsignor.’ The official investiture ceremony was held on Jan 9, 2011 at the Cathedral of St John, Kuala Lumpur.

The details of the funeral and the wake of the late Monsignor Anthony Thomas are as follows:

The body is lying in state at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jln Peel, Kuala Lumpur.

Wake and Vigil Mass will be held on Mon, 25th Sept and Tues, 26th Sept at 8.00pm. The funeral will be held on Wed, 27th Sept at 11.00am at the Church of the Sacred Heart, and thereafter for burial at Kajang Catholic cemetery.

His Grace, Most Rev Julian Leow, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and the clergy of the Archdiocese, extend condolences to the family of Monsignor Anthony Thomas in this time of loss and assures them of our fraternal prayers and support.

Father Michael Chua
Acting Chancellor
Archdiocesan Chancery

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online