Deacon Tom Grasson

     Deacon Tom was ordained a permanent deacon in 1995.  He and his wife Judy have been married for 34 years and have 3 children -- Matt, Julie, and Tim.  They also have 2 grandchildren Spenser and Mitchell.  Both Deacon Tom and Judy were born on the Westside of Cleveland and attended Blessed Sacrament grade school, but it wasn't until Judy was a junior in high school that they started dating.  After they were married, job transfers took them to Indiana and Michigan.  Today, they are both happy to be back home with family and friends

     Deacon Tom received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and a MBA from Michigan State University.  After spending over twenty-five years in manufacturing, Tom accepted a position at Penton Media Inc. as the Chief Editor for "American Machinist" magazine.  His job encompasses a great deal of domestic and international travel.  "It's not a bad life," says Deacon Tom, "I get to see the world, meet a lot of people, and on occasion, Judy gets to travel with me which make it that much more enjoyable.  About two years ago he was on a busine4ss strip to Italy and managed some vacation time in Rome with Judy.  While visiting the Vatican, they both had an opportunity to personally meet Pope John Paul and celebrate mass with him in his private chapel.  "It was the most memorable vacation we have ever had together," states Deacon Tom.

     At the parish, you will find the deacon involved in bereavement ministry, marriage preparation, and RCIA.  He has also started working on forming a group to plan activities for married couples.  He sees it as a golden opportunity for married couples to draw closer to Christ in prayer and community.  By the way, if you're interested in being part of this core group, Deacon Tom would love to hear from you.  He can be contacted by email at deacntom@att.net or by leaving a message at the parish office. 

    When it comes to hobbies, high on his list is golf.  In his spare time he enjoys a round of golf with friends.  However, his biggest competitors are his two sons.  They really enjoy beating him and he bemoans that it seems to be happening more and more often each year.