My husband and I heard Dr Paul Thigpen speak at an event in Belmont at the Abbey , in the late summer of 2008. After his talk we bought one of his books and stood in line to meet him. I had a question on prayer that was heavy in my heart. He took so much time listening to me and was so kind and gentle. His answer helped me deeply. I walked away feeling I had a new friend because of how welcoming he was. I’ve since listened to his interviews on Pints with Aquinas and re-listened to them a number of times. 

When I received the email from a local Catholic book company sharing the news of his sudden passing - I was stunned and greatly saddened. While I knew he would not recall our meeting in 2008, I still felt I’d lost a friend. It was such a shock to realize I would never hear another live interview with him again and from hence forth - we would only ever have access to him through old interviews. It’s not a feeling I’ve had before when a known author/speaker has passed. I think this reflects his ability to listen and, in that moment, you were his entire focus. You felt heard. 

If a brief passing has had this influence on a stranger, I can not imagine the hole that has been left in his family’s and closest friends’ lives! 💔💔💔

Rest in Peace, Paul! 

Always a calm voice, a discerning word, a sense of humor that would have us all laughing around Grandma’s dinner table, the fireplace, or seated around the Christmas tree…and his laugh—contagious and the catalyst for us all.

I cannot begin to share all the good times we had. He lived his life to the fullest no matter what he faced. His brain a sponge for so much knowledge.

I have always known him as my Uncle Tommy…and he will forever be in my heart. 

Witness Testimony of Paul’s Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy During My Time of Greatest Need

Paul’s closeness in my conversion,

When I experienced my conversion into the Catholic Church ⛪️ on July 2, 2015, I found myself searching for spiritual guidance through many holy people, and I received the grace to expose myself through social media, and witness a newfound radical love for Jesus and His Church. That was when Paul noticed and he drew closer. No fear but all of God’s love ❤️.

Paul possessed a unique grace for encountering souls at decisive moments, and I personally experienced the authenticity, gentleness, and genuine love that flowed from him, a love that unmistakably reflected the heart of Jesus Christ. A holy man of God.

At a time when I was stepping into an entirely new life, Paul became a source of refreshment and stability. He offered encouragement, spiritual direction, and true friendship when I needed it most. Through his counsel, I entered more deeply into Christ, was able to be little and vulnerable without fear of it being held against me, and began to understand what it meant to become a new man.

In those early days, my family, friends, and others seemed to draw away from me, confused by the sudden intensity of my conversion. But Paul drew closer. As he explained, “the fire in you will become like burning coals of the Holy Spirit, over time.” I thought everyone around me would change as radically as I had, but I was learning to understand the tenderness of the human heart, and the patient timing of God. 

Paul understood these things of God well.

For the year leading up to my Confession, Baptism, Confirmation, and first reception of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, he walked with me faithfully. I asked Paul to be my Sponsor because of what I witnessed in the year of my conversion, though God, in His Providence, chose my wife for that role, both for me and for my father, who entered the Catholic Church with me. Paul rejoiced that I listened to the Holy Spirit, and he was passionate about it, he accepted it with humility, and continuing to mentor me with an admirable generosity of spirit.

Paul met me exactly where I was at, with the compassion of the Heart of Jesus and the wisdom of a man formed by Mary. 

His presence in that vulnerable season remains one of the greatest gifts of mercy God provided during the most transformative year of my life.

God bless Paul, Leisa, Lydia, Elijah and family! 

Thanks 🙏 for the gift of Paul.

I contacted him on Facebook about his book Jesus I Adore You and he said it was out of print but available on Amazon 

Wish I could have got to know this wonderful man