Rev. Thomas M. Gaeke of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati died at 74 on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Rev. Thomas Gaeke's Service
Rev. Gaeke was baptized at Holy Angels Church, Dayton, Ohio, on his birthday, March 20, 1948.
He attended St. Gregory Seminary for his undergraduate studies and Mount St. Mary Seminary of the West in Cincinnati for his graduate study in philosophy and theology, according to the archdiocese.
At the Dayton parish of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception on May 30, 1975, Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin ordained him.
On June 20, 1975, Gaeke was given an associate position at Our Lord Christ the King Parish in Mt. Lookout. He also taught at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati.
It was in September 1979 that he was named Director of Central Services for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and in February 1980 that he was chosen as a resident at Saint Joseph Orphanage.
He began serving as associate pastor at St. Ann Parish in Hamilton on Dec. 3, 1985, and then at St. William Parish in Cincinnati from Sept. 4, 1990, until June 1, 1991.
As per the post, while still serving as pastor of St. Mary Parish, he was chosen interim administrator of Resurrection Parish, Dayton, on July 12, 1994.
On June 8, 1995, in addition to his role as pastor at St. Mary Parish, Gaeke began serving as pastor of Holy Family Parish in Dayton for a six-year term.
Beginning on June 3, 1998, he serves as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Dayton for another six-year tenure.
In the interim period between August 16, 2001 and December 10, 2001, Father Gaeke served as the parochial vicar of Holy Redeemer Parish in New Breman.
Rev. Gaeke stepped down from his position as of April 1, 2013.
The burial for Gaeke took place at Calvary Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, immediately following the celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial.
About Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Catholic religion brings serenity, joy, and full life, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati shares this message through its families, parishes, schools, hospitals, social service agencies, and other ministries.
In the 19 counties of western and southwestern Ohio, the local Church serves about half a million Catholics.
Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has stated that the commitment of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to establishing and upholding safe environments is unwavering and will not be subject to any kind of negotiation.
Decree on Child Protection
The Decree on Child Protection, which has been in effect since 1993, is the cornerstone of the concerted efforts to thoroughly alter the manner in which the Church deals with claims of sexual abuse.
According to the church, it establishes norms for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to safeguard children and people who are vulnerable, as well as to offer a framework for responding promptly to reports of abuse, and it does both of these things simultaneously.
Safeparish Certification
SafeParish is an organization that offers training as well as certification in the field of child protection from sexual assault.
In the archdiocese, the SafeParish certification program has been operational since July 2021.
Attendance at an initial training session and continued compliance on a quarterly basis are mandatory for every priest, deacon, employee, and volunteer in a position that has the potential to come into touch with a child or an adult who is vulnerable.
