Tom was ordained to the Deaconate on September 12, 2020, during the COVID period. He was assigned to Sacred Heart and was joined slightly afterward by Father Letteer, and has been working to serve the people of Sacred Heart ever since. 

Background

Deacon Thomas Ballinger was born at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, where his dad worked as a policeman. Tom was the 2nd-oldest of 7 children (4 sisters and 2 brothers). Tom’s education was at St Peter’s in Chains Parish, and High school was at Stephen T Badin. He had 1 year at Dayton University and then started work at the Champion Hamilton mill before marrying Sandy in January of 1975 at St. Veronica’s Church in Hamilton.   

Tom relocated to the Spring Grove area in August of 2000 to work as an engineer at the Glatfelter Paper mill. He had worked at the Champion paper mill in Hamilton, Ohio, before that time. He became a salaried employee after graduating from Miami of Oxford, Ohio. Still in the Hamilton area is most of his family: his oldest, Thomas Mathew, who, with his wife, Christy, has two boys, and Jenny, living in Oxford, Ohio, who has two girls. Amber, the youngest, came with Tom and Sandy to the area to finish high school at Spring Grove High School as a junior. She now lives in Coopersburg, PA, with her husband, Kris, and their children, Ryleigh and Jason.  Tom and Sandy also have one great-grandchild, Caden.

Tom went back to school to get a master’s in theology once he started helping with RCIA at Sacred Heart. He finished this degree while in formation for the deaconate and continued his education to become a certified spiritual director through classes in Harrisburg. Tom will tell you that, as a deacon in the Church, he feels called to help people find Christ in their lives, to know the Church that Jesus founded, and to help those in it understand all the gifts and benefits our Lord has given us through his Catholic Church.