Meet Tom

I like to keep it simple…

I am a Franciscan. That means I am a member of a religious order in the Catholic Church – the Secular Franciscan Order – that was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1222. I strive daily to care for the sick, the poor, and the suffering in different ways, always with simplicity, humility, and compassion. Along my way I have earned the title of theologian and catechist as well, but I am an ordinary person like anyone else in all the ways that are important.

I am an educational psychologist. That means my business is understanding: (1) how people learn, and (2) how the things that people learn change them. I use my understanding, experience, and expertise to help people have learning experiences and change personally in the ways that give them a greater sense of well-being. I have over 30 years of experience as an educational psychologist – in community, university and government settings on three continents – and still find myself learning something new very often.

I am a trained and certified forgiveness facilitator. That means I completed a course of training through the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University in the latest research and evidence-based practices of forgiveness, as well as effective facilitation of individual and group learning experiences of forgiveness as a support for well-being.

Live and Forgive is my personal Franciscan project. That means I started Live and Forgive as a way to put my Franciscan values into action by giving people what they need in order to engage in forgiveness and have a greater sense of well-being. Doing that in a Franciscan way also means facilitating forgiveness especially as part of care for the sick, the poor, and the suffering.

Other things that people usually like to know about me…

My Education & Certifications

  • Certificate in Forgiveness Facilitation – Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University
  • Certificate in Catholic Catechesis – St. Paul Seminary
  • M.A. in Theology with a Concentration in Spirituality – St. Catherine University
    • Wisdom Spirituality in Early Christian Monastic Communities
  • M.A. & Ed.S. in Educational Psychology – University of Minnesota
    • Education for Human Flourishing
    • Non-Western Educational Traditions
  • B.A. in Psychology and Biology – Macalester College
  • Certificate in Pasture Management – University of Minnesota (Yes, I’m a Franciscan — remember?)

My Current Pastoral & Mental Health Ministry Work

  • Synod Evangelization Team – Church of St. Henry, Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis
  • Mental Health Ministry Team – Diocese of St. Cloud
  • St. Cloud Fraternity of Secular Franciscans
  • International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers
  • Forgiveness Community of Practice – Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University
  • Human Flourishing Network – Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University

My Current Advisory Council & Committee Work

  • Statewide Children’ Mental Health Plan / System of Care Administrative Team
  • State Advisory Council on Mental Health (SACMH)
  • SACMH Children’s Mental Health Subcommittee
  • State Behavioral Health Planning Council
  • State Rehabilitation Council

My Past Fellowships & Awards

  • International Faith Leader Forgiveness Cohort – Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University
  • Creative Community Leadership Institute Fellowship – Bush Foundation
  • Multicultural Teaching & Learning Fellowship – University of Minnesota & Hanoi National University of Education (Vietnam)
  • Corcoran Research Travel Award – University of Minnesota & Hanoi National University of Education (Vietnam)
  • Robert & Corrie Beck Award – University of Minnesota & University of Barcelona (Spain)

Why do I think forgiveness is so important?

I am an ordinary person. There have been lots of times when I needed to forgive, and there have been as many if not more times when I needed to be forgiven – just like anyone else. I teach forgiveness and facilitate from my own life experiences as an ordinary person who is just like anyone else. Because I do that, most people are able to relate to me and likewise feel that they are able to engage in forgiveness, and become forgiving a forgiving person for life.

Forgiveness is an amazing power given to even the most ordinary person. When you can see that there are vast uncountable numbers of ordinary people all around our planet, you can see that the forgiveness of ordinary people has the real potential to transform our world for good. In that way, there is no one more important than ordinary people. Forgiveness is important for me and any other ordinary person because we are ordinary people. It is a wonderful thing that the forgiveness that is so important and needed in this world has been entrusted to its most ordinary people.