Beloved Priest’s Final Act of Faith Ends in Unthinkable Tragedy

A Michigan priest spent his life walking into hospitals, praying for the sick and standing beside people in some of their most vulnerable moments. Tragically, it was while answering that same call to ministry that his own life came to an abrupt end.

Father Thomas “Tom” Szura, 75, was struck and killed by a vehicle Wednesday outside Corewell Health in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where he had gone to pray for a fellow priest, according to Local 4.

Szura was reportedly leaving a parking structure and approaching a crosswalk when he was struck. Farmington Hills police took the driver into custody as authorities investigated whether to file charges.

Yet beyond the investigation is the heartbreaking reality of what Szura was doing there in the first place.

He was going to minister.

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Greg Davis, who knew Szura for more than 20 years, told Local 4 he understood the priest was preparing to administer last rites.

“He was going to help somebody else to give them the last rites, I understand,” Davis said. “And for him to be taken so quickly and under those ’s just unbelievable.”

It was not an isolated act of compassion. It was apparently who Father Tom was.

Davis remembered undergoing triple bypass surgery in 2019 at St. Joseph’s in Ann Arbor. Szura didn’t simply promise to pray from afar. He got in his car and came to him.

“I was in Ann Arbor at Saint Joseph’s, and he drove out there to give me the blessing and so forth before surgery,” Davis recalled.

That same servant’s heart brought Szura to Corewell Health years later.

According to CBS Detroit, Szura was ordained in 1978 and became a member of the Mariannhill Missionary Society located in Dearborn, Michigan. St. Sabina Catholic Church remembered him as a beloved priest whose kindness and warmth left a lasting mark on the people he served.

His family similarly told Local 4 that Szura was generous with his time and always willing to offer a hug or a listening ear.

In a world where ministry can easily become associated with platforms, titles and recognition, Father Tom’s final hours paint a dramatically different picture of service.

There was no spotlight. No stage. No applause.

There was simply a priest headed toward a hospital room because someone needed prayer.

Davis put his legacy into just a few powerful words:

“He left his imprint on your soul.”

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.