Fr. J. Thomas Heron

November 8, 2023

He barely survived making his first confession.  He cried and cried the night before, worrying, worrying  about what he would say, what the priest would say, what would happen next.  He cried to his mother, confessing his awful sin- that for two straight years he had been stealing candy from the corner grocer.  It was bad, very bad. What made it worse was that his mother owned the grocery store!  

But by the wisdom of his mother, the sense of humor of the priest hearing the confession, and the grace of God, he did survive and went on to become the Father J. Thomas Heron. Father Heron is currently retired, residing at Holy Savior in Norristown.  He is Pastor Emeritus of St. Matthew’s in Conshohocken, where he served the parish for 11 1/2 years, from June 2011 – November 2022.

He entered St. Charles Seminary in September of 1970  to deepen his relationship with the Blessed Trinity and to seek “satisfactory responses” to the many questions he had about life and its meaning and purpose.  After Father Heron’s ordination in 1978, he was in various parishes including Immaculate Heart of Mary in Andorra, St. Michael the Archangel, Good Shepherd, St. Gabriel’s, and St. James.  He also taught at Archbishop Kennedy and Bishop McDevitt  high schools and  served as chaplain at Hahnemann Hospital. 

Father has authored two books, We Are All Called, An Introductory Guide to Spirituality. He is currently working on a third book, a novel.

The Eagles, Notre Dame, shooting a basketball, swimming, and listening to music, are his major interests, but prayer and preaching are THE essential components in his life.  He is most grateful for the “gift of sharing in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ.”