Tom Liggett

Did you always think you would become a priest?
No, not at all. When I started college, I didn’t have much use for religion at all. It wasn’t until my junior year that I really got interested. It started when I began to go to Mass during Lent. I originally wanted to go to law school after getting a master’s in political science.

Did you feel that you were being called to become a priest?
Yes, and it was always understood that it was a two-way road. Meaning that I may have had the desire and I was very moved by that...but at the same time, from the Church’s standpoint, it had to be validated. I was interested in the religious life, so I thought of either the Trappists or the Jesuits. I was going with two extremes.

Could you explain what a Jesuit is?
It was a negative nickname actually — almost like Christian was for the early Christians. The order is the Society of Jesus...or actually, it’s called the “company of Jesus,” from its original Spanish title. I had been educated by them (Jesuits) at Le Moyne College, which is where I did undergraduate work. It is one of four [Roman Catholic] religious orders: Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits. There are a lot of other communities. Some might say that the Trappists are a sub-group of the Benedictines.

What are the differences between the different religious orders?
The Benedictines were organized by Benedict as hermits, and their task was mainly to recite the divine office. The next group to come along was the Franciscans, and they lived a life partly of being hermits — kind of off by themselves in silence, then going out and evangelizing in the cities. The next group to come along was the Dominicans and they were primarily theologians and teachers. Then the last group to come along was the Jesuits, and they were different — coming right at the beginning of the Reformation. They were interested in secular pursuits just as well as sacred ones. So they were priests but also professionals. Some were in education, the group as a whole is big on education, and they are the largest missionary order. You could look at almost any profession and you would be able to find a Jesuit somewhere in it.

Where you are from?
Syracuse, from out near Baldwinsville. I went to grade school and that whole thing in Syracuse. I went to Solvay High. And I went to Le Moyne from there, and then to Syracuse, going to Catholic University in between. Then I finished my master’s at Syracuse — I’ve got four of those now. While I was studying, I also got into studying Hinduism and Buddhism.

Then you must have a pretty firm understanding of the differing religions. Do you feel that’s important for what you do?
Oh, yes, especially here with so many different faiths.

What led you to RIT and the RIT community?
Well, I had actually tried to come here before. I have kind of a strange story. I had interviewed here, and the school and the diocese had already accepted me, but the diocese changed their minds because they needed to place a priest who was going deaf and they wanted him to be able to study sign at NTID. But then, years later, this opening had appeared here and I said that I’d still like to come and I did.

Many say that you have a unique way of capturing their attention. For instance, some say you have a collection of puppets you sometimes use during Mass. How did you come up with these ideas?
I’m partly an artist by background. I paint, for example. I have a whole series of paintings that creates a mural that goes about 15 feet across; it’s a fairly big mural, and I do sculpture. However, I’d like to do more than the job allows time for sometimes. I love to do creative things.

What would you say is your most rewarding experience?
In life, I would say that my most rewarding experiences have been the spiritual ones. The opportunities I’ve had to go on retreats. They were very powerful for me. I got an opportunity once to spend two years with a Tibetan Lama learning meditation. And I’ve worked with a number of Zen Masters, most of them Catholic Priests, actually. I found them to be very rewarding experiences. I also got interested in healing as a side thing — and then not so much a side thing — and now I work on Friday mornings with a group of healers. We’ll see anyone who comes in off the streets.

What would you say that you enjoy most about RIT?
I would say the students and being available to them. I also enjoy the staff. Over the years, I’ve actually developed a core group...mostly alumni who have graduated and still come to Mass. Every Sunday we get together and go out for breakfast. It’s a very affirming community.