Monsignor Anthony “Mons” Toms was known as a man of faith, friendship and fun.
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The former St Mary’s Parish Priest died peacefully at his home in East St Kilda on September 25.
His Requiem Mass was held at St Mary’s Catholic Church on October 6 after which he was laid to rest in the Seymour Cemetery.
Mons studied at the Propaganda Fide College in Rome from 1957 to 1962, where he had an unusual brush with the Pope.
In summers the students would go to a villa at Castel Gondolfo for three months. On the other side of a 1 m stone wall at the property was the papal villa.
One day Mons and other students were playing 500 down in the villa gardens near the wall. Mons had his back to it and suddenly the conversation stopped.
‘‘A voice over my shoulder said ‘play that card’,’’ Mons told The Telegraph in 2014.
‘‘I looked around and there was John XXIII. The cards went everywhere but he then sat down and played one or two rounds.
“I was possibly the only priest that played cards with a Pope and a saint.’’
So who won?
Mons was diplomatic.
‘‘He was playing with me against the others and I can’t remember,’’ Mons said.
‘‘I was shocked because you didn’t know what his attitude might be. Playing cards could be seen as gambling but the Australians would sneak off down to the bottom of the olive grove instead of taking siesta, and obviously the Pope didn’t have a siesta either.’’
John XXIII had only just been elected Pope. As a student, Mons had stood watch over the body of his predecessor Pius XII.
Later there was to be a more formal meeting with Pope John Paul II in 1994 when Mons was in Rome for a conference of military vicars from around the world.
Mons was ordained in Melbourne in 1964, spending three years in the United States and 15 years in Thailand before coming home in 1978 to the role of chaplain in the Military Diocese of Australia.
He became Parish Priest at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Seymour in 1996.
One of Mons’ first initiatives as parish priest was to run a sacrificial giving campaign in 1997 to boost parish finances for extended facilities.
He then invited parishioners to discuss the future of the old parish hall. The result was the new hall that stands today.
Mons allowed the church building to be used, not only for religious services, but for musical works, conducted by John Bumford, during Lent.
The Melbourne Opera Orchestra and Victorian Chorale Society presented Handel's Messiah on more than one occasion.
Following the tsunami which devastated Indonesia on Boxing Day in 2004, Mons organised, through his group The Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, a collection of $6237 from the St Mary’s parishioners to assist the victims build 50 fishing boats and dwellings for the islanders of Nias.
Mons was a busy man at St Mary’s College and among his many achievements was the signing of contracts for a new technology wing with then-school principal Peter Kelly. The building opened on May 7, 2008.
In July 2009, Mons signed a contract for the multi-purpose hall/gymnasium, and on August 5, 2009, approved the building of a science centre.
On July 25, 2014, the Golden Jubilee of his ordination, the science centre was named the Monsignor Anthony K. Toms Science Wing, in recognition of his help and support to bring it all to fruition.
In his final years at St Mary’s he was actively involved with the college board in planning. His brainchild in 2016 was to build a new administration block where it stands today.
Mons loved to attend St Mary’s debutant balls and he also loved to go to parishioners’ homes for dinner.
He enjoyed a home cooked meal and meaningful discussions with both old and young.
Not only did he enjoy eating meals, he enjoyed cooking them, especially Thai, with plenty of lemongrass flavour. He was partial to pickled pork and would order this when invited for a meal.
When a working bee was needed to clean up the church and presbytery surrounds, Mons would be the first to don overalls and roll up his sleeves. He would be one of the last to leave when the work was done.
He was also a passionate supporter of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Seymour.
Former Vinnies president Paul Fleming said Mons rarely missed a monthly meeting in nearly 20 years, supporting the Seymour volunteers with encouragement and spiritual guidance.
Mons joined the society’s junior conference aged 16 at Xavier College in Melbourne.
On the first Friday of the month he volunteered at Ozanam House in North Melbourne after school to assist with distributing the evening meal for 30 to 40 displaced men who were on a one-day stopover.
On alternate fortnights he assisted at St Anthony’s Home for the Blind, reading to children with limited or no sight.
By Mons’ continuous efforts and support, the Vinnies Assistance Centre was established at Anzac Avenue in Seymour to serve as a meeting place and distribution centre for the needy and disadvantaged people of the district.
“His brand of faith had a distinctive ecumenical flavour, influenced by the many years of missionary, military and parish interaction,” Mr Fleming said.
“His commitment to Vinnies and the Order of St Lazarus embodied his Catholic ethos of caring for the poor, the lost and the underprivileged through some 56 years of service.
“A simple, practical and straightforward view of a meaningful relationship with our God was an inspiration to me, particularly his daily and Sunday sermons, which so often challenged us to the simple but defining decisions to choose between the right way or the wrong way in life’s journey.”
Mons was awarded Emeritus Life Membership of the St Vincent de Paul Society upon his retirement in recognition of his unfailing and innovative commitment to serving the poor.
In his last few years, Mons was regularly visited by many Seymour parishioners, both at Cabrini Ashwood Nursing Home and at his home where he was born and where he fervently wanted to die.
Although he was restricted in his speech and movement, he could make himself understood, and was always pleased to see visitors.
Leading St Mary’s parishioner Phil Jarvis said Mons led the parish in the Good Friday procession through the main street of Seymour each year.
“He not only led a good and holy life, but showed us parishioners by his example, how to try to replicate a similar life,” he said.
“As a priest, confessor, confidante and friend, he meant so much to us all. He always listened to us and comforted us with his soft and gentle way.
“He will always be remembered as a loving, wonderful man of God and will be sadly missed by all.”
Information was edited from a eulogy delivered by Phil Jarvis
Journalist