Where Are They Now

After 50 Years – Where Did They Go?
Fifty years ago (1966) on May 7 at St. Patrick’s Church, Billings, Bishop William Condon ordained two young men to the priesthood to serve in the Great Falls-Billings Diocese. Both had graduated from Billings Central High School in 1958. For the next few years the newly ordained priests served Eastern Montana. But at that time the winds of change were sweeping throughout the Catholic Church following the Vatican II Council. In the 1970’s the universal Catholic Church experienced a 50% loss of its clergy and the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings was no exception. Both priests left to marry and seek new life occupations. Where did they go and where are they now, 50 years after ordination?

Richard Vande Veegaete
Richard served six years in Great Falls as a counselor at Great Falls Central Catholic High School and was an assistant priest at Lady of Lourdes Parish and St. Ann’s Cathedral. In 1972 he left the Diocese to marry Carol Mitchell and joined Merrill Lynch as an account executive. Not enthralled with finance he soon enrolled at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa and in 1975 graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Within weeks Dr. Van established Van Chiropractic Clinic in Billings, Montana and practiced there for the next 26 years until his retirement. He is still married to Carol, has 2 step children, and 4 grandchildren. He is retired in Billings, volunteers at his St. Pius X Parish, and pursues woodwork at home.

Thomas MacIntyre
Following ordination Tom was assigned to Holy Family Parish in Great Falls with teaching duties at Great Falls Central High School. He held these positions for seven years until the spring of 1973 when Great Falls Central closed. As Father Mac, Tom was very involved in the high school Search Program which served large numbers of high school youth. After the closing of Central High and still as a priest, Tom spent a year at the University of San Francisco completing an MA program in counseling. In the fall of 1974 he took over leadership of the Newman Center in Billings. In 1974 he was laicized and married Jan Landsverk. This summer they will celebrate 40 years of marriage. They have 3 children, 2 teaching in Catholic Schools and one a lawyer. They also have a son-in-law and daughter-in-law involved in Catholic education. Tom spent over 25 years with Catholic Community Services in Western Washington as a program director, agency director and vice president. He is now happily retired enjoying one the favorite phases of his life.