Metro Detroit priest dies after struck by vehicle at hospital, police say
Parishioners are mourning the tragic loss of a Metro Detroit priest who was fatally struck by a vehicle at a hospital earlier this week.
According to St. Sabina Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights, Father Tom Szura was in the parking lot of Corewell Health Farmington Hills on Aug. 26 when he was hit. Officials say Szura was "on his way to carry out the Corporal Work of Mercy of visiting the sick."
"Fr. Tom was a beloved friend and dedicated weekend associate of both Our Lady of Grace and Saint Sabina parishes for nearly 50 years. His decades of kindness, spiritual guidance, and warmth, especially his knack for ending Mass with a joke, leaves an unforgettable mark on our faith communities. We will miss his presence dearly," St. Sabina said in a social media post.
Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott confirmed the incident and confirmed reports that one person was taken into custody. CBS News Detroit also reached out to Corewell Health for comment and is awaiting a response.
"He's a perfect guy. He would do anything for anybody," Jo Johnson, Szura's friend and coworker, said.
Johnson says she was the last person to speak with the church leader before he died.
"I had bought a pizza and left it at my house. I had tried to get him to go down there and eat because I didn't think he would go home and cook, and he said, 'No, we will have it for supper,'" Johnson said.
Only 30 minutes later, Johnson said she got a call that her close friend, whom she called a brother, had died.
She and the many who loved Szura choose to remember his infectious presence, a man who would do anything for anyone.
According to an obituary, Szura died less than a month before his 76th birthday. He was ordained as a priest on Feb. 19, 1978, and became a member of the Mariannhill Missionary Society.
"Father Tom was a man of God who enjoyed saying Mass and preaching and being a man who was loved and respected by the faithful. He will be greatly missed by his fellow Mariannhill confreres and by his parishioners. He was one of those who leaves his work in the hearts and souls of those who loved him," read the obituary.
According to the obituary, visitation is set for Monday, Aug. 31, at the Stanley Turowski Funeral Home in Dearborn Heights, with rosary at 7 p.m. Mass is set for 10 a.m. on Sept. 1 at St. Sabina Church.
