Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • August 4, 2023 9 “(Msgr. Thornton’s) nickname was El Tranquillo, ‘the tranquil one’ because nothing would upset him. He would just rock along with everything that was happen- ing,” Msgr. Flannery said. “He was a great priest, very dedicated to the mis- sion. He did tremendous work. He really did. He was very popular there. He was very good to the sick and the dying. He was very committed to the people he served.” Rogelio Perez first met Msgr. Thornton in 1973 dur- ing his first term in the Saltillo mission and the two remained close friends to the end, working closely together at both Perpetuo Socorro and San Miguel. “He was very dedicated to his ministry,” said Perez. “As a boss, he was an excellent person, who treated the workers very well, both those who worked with him at the mission and those who built the chapels. In the municipality of Galeana, he adopted more ejidos (com- mons) that they asked him to visit, and in Saltillo he was in charge of two chapels, and he built one with the name of San Guillermo and the last one with the name of Cristo Rey, although he did not see it finished. “For him, when we visited the ranchos, there was no deadline to return because he was always aware of the needs of the communities we visited, even if it was late, sometimes we returned at night.” Perez would often accompany Msgr. Thornton on his trips to Mississippi to report on the progress at the mission. “When we brought donations of clothes and medi- cine back to Saltillo, when it would come time to cross the border back into Mexico, despite how difficult it was, we always made it through,” he said. Perez said Msgr. Thornton was more than a boss. He was a friend. “Personally, I am very grateful to him because he gave the blessing of our marriage to me and my wife, and he was always there for me, especially in 2001 when I had an accident,” said Perez. “All the people were always very grateful to him, and they mourned his departure in 2004, when he returned to Mississippi for his new assignment.” Perez and his wife would often visit Msgr. Thornton in Mississippi. The two saw each other for the last time in 2022 when Msgr. Thornton traveled to Saltillo for a visit. “I will always be grateful for his priesthood, friend- ship, the love he had for the mission and, above all, his love for others. He was always looking out for those in need.” Herminia Moreno, his first secretary at San Miguel, said Msgr. Thornton will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of the people of Saltillo. “He remains in our hearts, a holy and wise man, who gave us his friendship, was our spiritual guide and part of our family, always sowing the seed of faith with great humility among the poorest,” she said. María Inés Laureano, the current secretary at San Miguel, said she will remember Msgr. Thornton as “a wonderful and humble man with a very good sense of humor and tremendous patience.” Laureano said Msgr. Thornton became part of the Mexican culture. “He loved us very much,” she said. “When he returned to the United States, he did not forget about us. When someone called him to say hello, he always asked how everyone at the ranchos was doing. For those of us who knew him and worked with him, it was a blessing to have met a man so full of God. We will miss him.” “Our consolation is that Msgr .Mike always did the best for the people around him and he was close to the Lord,” said Blanca Beatriz Garza Gonzalez , who has served as a catechist in Saltillo since the establishment of the mission at Perpetuo Socorro “Here in Saltillo he brought the Good News to know the Lord with the other priests who came to our mission.” One of those to whom he brought the Good News was Father Sergio Balderas, pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Ocean Springs, who is a native of Saltillo. “I met Father Mike Thornton about twenty-five years ago, when he arrived in Saltillo after the death of Fr. Paddy Quinn. He became the new pastor in charge of the Perpetuo Socorro Mission. I went to see him at his office and ask his for his support and permission to come to Mississippi and study English. One family from Ocean Springs accepted me to live in their home during my studies; so Father Thornton was a big sup- porter of this experience,” said Father Balderas. “When I made the decision to join the seminary for the Biloxi Diocese, once again, Father Thornton sup- ported my decision. He was my pastor and he recom- mended me to the diocese. I remember he gave me a bilingual Bible that was his. I used that Bible during my seminary formation. When he returned to Mississippi, he was assigned to Immaculate Conception Parish in Laurel, and I had the honor to serve with him as a tran- sitional deacon and for three years of my priesthood. SEE MSGR. MICHAEL THORNTON, PAGE 14 Msgr. Michael Thornton From page 1 Pictured, l-r, during a 2022 visit to San Miguel Mission in Saltillo, Mexico, are Father David Martinez, pastor of San Miguel; María Inés Laureano, secretary at San Miguel; Msgr. Thornton; Father Adam Urbaniak; and Deacon Adam Frey. Photo/Terry Dickson Msgr. Thornton and longtime friend, Rogelio Perez, are pictured during Msgr. Thornton’s final visit to Saltillo, Mexico, in 2022. Photo/ Terry Dickson