Rev. Thomas A. Kinney, CSV, died on Wed., Dec. 4, 1991. Fr. Kinney was found dead in bed at Our Lady of Las Vegas Church in Las Vegas. He was 69 years old.

Thomas Aloysius Kinney was born in Baring, Missouri on July 22, 1922. After graduating from Atlanta High School in Atlanta, MO, Tom joined the Viatorians in January of 1943 and pronounced his First Vows on June 28, 1944. After receiving his degree from St. Ambrose College in 1947 and studying Theology at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Tom was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1951 at Conception Abbey in Conception, MO.

Fr. Kinney’s early years in ministry were as a teacher at Spalding Institute in Peoria, St. Philip’s in Chicago, Cathedral Boys High School in Springfield and St. Patrick High School in Kankakee. In 1959, he began a number of years of ministry as a hospital chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital in South Dakota, at Manteno State Hospital and at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Hannibal, MO. He also served as Associate Pastor in a number of parishes beginning in 1965 at St. Joseph’s in Missouri, St. Brendan’s in Florida and St. Bonaventure in Marsiline, MO. In 1973, Tom enrolled in a Chaplaincy accreditation program at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Washington D.C. and began a ten year career as a Veterans Administration chaplain and substance abuse counselor at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago, Veterans Hospitals in Marion, IN and in North Chicago, IL. In 1984, Tom moved west to Las Vegas and initially served as Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Parish and at St. Viator Parish. Since 1988, he served as the founder of New Freedoms, a Las Vegas program for substance abuse counseling. He served as a counselor in the program and was involved in New Freedoms at the time of his death.

Visitation was held on Sat., Dec. 7, 1991 at St. Viator Parish, Las Vegas, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. The Funeral Mass was celebrated at 11:30 a.m. A visitation was also held at the Province Center in Arlington Heights, on Monday, Dec. 9, 1991 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial. Prayers were said on Tues., Dec. 10, 1991 at 11:00 a.m. in the Interment Chapel at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Burial was in the Community plot. Fr. Kinney is survived by a brother William and two sisters Mrs. Mary Maupin and Mrs. Pauline Weir.

Remember Tom in your prayers and gather as a Community to remember him at Eucharist.

Taken from letter to the Viatorian Community on Dec. 4, 1991 from the Provincial, Rev. Patrick W. Render, CSV