November 17, 1938, to March 23, 2026
Professed vows: 5/27/1961 at St. Mary’s of the Barrens, Perryville, MO
Ordained deacon: 5/23/1964 at St. Mary’s of the Barrens
Ordained priest: 5/27/1965 at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Chicago, IL
Thomas Michael Croak was born to Edward Patrick and Donna Kathleen “Pat” Ayers Croak on November 17, 1938. Baptized at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in St. Louis, Missouri, he attended the parish grade school before the family moved to St. Teresa’s parish, where he completed elementary school. He then left for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where he attended St. Vincent’s College Seminary for high school. Upon graduation from SVC, he entered the Novitiate at St. Mary’s of the Barrens Seminary in Perryville, Missouri, in 1956 and began studying for the priesthood. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy there before moving on to DeAndreis Seminary in Lemont, Illinois, where he earned a master’s in divinity. He was ordained a priest at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Chicago, Illinois, on May 27, 1965.
In addition to his theological training, Fr. Croak earned a doctorate in history from Carnegie-Mellon University. He put this education to good use during his many years teaching at the secondary and college level, serving at DePaul Academy in Chicago, Cardinal Glennon College Seminary in St. Louis, and for more than 40 years at DePaul University in Chicago.
In his role as Dean at Cardinal Glennon, he served at a time of great transition in the Church. He believed that the primary purpose of seminary formation was not just to create another liberal arts college. Rather, guiding men to a life of prayer, fostering a deep devotion to the Eucharist, and engendering a personal commitment to the service of God and humanity were paramount.
At DePaul University, he served in a variety of roles: History Department faculty member and Chair, Associate Vice-President, Associate Director of Athletic Development, Associate Professor Emeritus in the School of Liberal Arts, and Director of Student Legal Services, which evolved into the Croak Community Legal Clinic.
Coworkers at DePaul noted that Fr. Croak had a real passion for working with students. He was approachable and practical. He had a talent for explaining topics and issues in a way that helped students come to a better understanding. He had a reputation as a great educator. His students loved his classes and learned a lot from him. He was deeply interested in student affairs at DePaul.
While he was dean of students at DePaul University, he revised the student handbook to ensure that students’ rights were protected and to ensure that students knew what their responsibilities were. In his role as dean, students often came to him with legal issues, which prompted him to earn his law degree from DePaul’s College of Law. Eventually, he was asked to start the student legal services program to provide legal resources to DePaul students, an innovative resource of this kind at a Catholic university in the United States. The Croak Community Legal Clinic at DePaul University is an outgrowth of that resource, continuing Fr. Croak’s commitment to knowledge, education, and public service. He saw his legal work as an important manifestation of his Vincentian identity. Other people saw him as a good priest who wanted to see progress, good education, and compassion for humanity.
Fr. Croak was outgoing and fun and was a man who was not afraid to stand up for his convictions. He was an avid DePaul basketball fan. He enjoyed meeting and conversing with others. He was a gracious and welcoming host. His laughter and presence could fill any room. However, that presence could be imposing. He was not afraid to speak up in the face of injustice, whether it occurred in academic, civil, religious, or ecclesial circumstances. He once expressed that his willingness to criticize something in order to improve it was a sign of his loyalty. In all things, he saw himself as primarily a priest of the Congregation of the Mission. He was a faithful Vincentian, whose heart and hands were always ready to serve the poor.
In addition to his academic ministry, Fr. Croak served as a chaplain to the Daughters of Charity and to the Little Sisters of the Poor. In his final years, he served as a senior confrere in service and as a member of the prayer ministry at Apostle of Charity Residence at St. Mary’s of the Barrens. His door was always open, his TV tuned to a ball game, and he was ready for conversation.
A few weeks before he died, he made the decision to enter hospice care.
“I’m dying and I’m at peace with it,” he told visitors.
He was effusive in praising the care he received from the staff at Apostle of Charity and from the hospice staff, noting that he was tired but was not in pain.
Fr. Croak was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Patricia Mizerany, and his brother, Edward (Loretta) Croak. He is survived by his sister, Mary (Larry) Koenig, his brother, Ron (Rose) Croak, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The funeral services for Father Thomas Croak, C.M., will be held at the Apostle of Charity Residence at St. Mary’s of the Barrens at Perryville, Mo. The wake service will be on Sunday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m.
The Funeral Mass will be on Monday, March 30, at 11:00 a.m., followed by burial in the community cemetery.