Just over 100 years ago, in Kilcara, County Kerry, Ireland, one of Amador County’s more prominent citizen’s was born to Michael and Mary Relihan. Exactly 100 years later, on May 11, 2023, a special mass was said for Father Thomas Relihan at Sacred Heart Parish, where he was appointed pastor 40 years earlier. A reception, or maybe a birthday party, followed the mass with family and friends from as far away as Ireland. Some of the guests included a cousin, Mercy Sister Eileen Enright, and six other priests from the Sacramento Diocese, including retired Bishop Emeritus William K. Wiegand.
The mass at Sacred Heart Church, in Ione, happens to be on a street coincidentally named “Relihan Drive”. The church was as full as it could get and the mass was celebrated by Amador’s current pastor, Father Colin Wen, who just happened to be born the same year that Father Relihan became the pastor in Ione.
Father Relihan has always been very active. As a priest, it’s estimated that he has celebrated mass over 27,000 times. In addition to his priestly duties he played golf and snow skied past the age of 90. He would also attend many local social events such as the local crab feeds and more notably, the annual Jigs Dinner on St. Patrick’s Day at the Ione Methodist Church.
Father Relihan has been the solid and reliable pastor. In addition to saying daily masses, he performed the sacred and ancient sacraments for many of his parishioners in Ione in a manner that is rare. A sacrament is a visible sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace. It is a rarity when more than just one or two of the sacraments are received from the same priest, but there are a number of Ionians who have received multiple sacraments including baptism, confession, first communion, confirmation and marriage, all from Father Relihan.
A few years ago, Father Relihan was at the home of a parishioner for a simple gathering and in a conversation he mentioned that he had met with some other Catholic priests. He said that he told the other priests that if he had to do it all over again that he would still be a priest. He told the parishioner, “It’s been a good life.”
Later in the day of his 100th birthday, when the mass ended and the celebration was over, Father Relihan crossed the street named after him to get to his house where he has been living for the past 40 years.
Story reprinted with permission from Ledger Dispatch.