San Francisco County
Biographies
REV. THOMAS
P. HEVERIN
Esteemed by his parishioners and fellow citizens is Rev. Thomas P. Heverin, S. T. L., pastor of St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic Church, Nineteenth and Missouri streets, San Francisco.
Father Heverin was born in San Francisco (in the territory south of Market street) on August 22, 1869, of Patrick and Annie (Biggins) Heverin, natives of Ireland, who came with the ‘course of empire’ westward and settled in San Francisco in 1868.
Father Heverin’s early education was gained in public and private schools; at Ross Landing (now Kentfied), Marin county; the old St. Joseph’s Academy and the Immaculate Conception school, Oakland, and the Cole and Irving grammar schools in the same city.
Emancipating himself from the classroom (as youth avidly did in those days, when opportunity beckoned) the future priest entered the labor world, trying his hand at the cooper’s trade, first in an Oakland shop on lower Broadway, under the skilful tutelage of a Hebrew boss, and completing his training in an establishment on Commercial street, between Drum and Davis, San Francisco. Then, the cooper apprentice, wearied of beveling staves and setting up and working off kegs, became a grocer’s clerk, serving in that capacity for some years with the firm of Helmke Brothers, Oakland.
Attracted by the priestly life, Father Heverin took up preliminary studies for a little more than two years at the old St. Ignatius College, San Francisco, going thence to St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland, and was ordained in the Baltimore Cathedral by His Eminence, James Cardinal Gibbons, on June 19, 1900. Soon after his ordination he was sent to the Catholic University at Washington, D. C., graduating from that institution with the degree of S. T. L.
Father Heverin’s first curacy was at Star of the Sea parish, San Francisco, where he remained for one year and nine months, and was then transferred to St. Agnes parish, San Francisco, laboring for eleven years and four months in that portion of the Lord’s vineyard.
Father Heverin’s first pastorate was at St. Bruno’s Church, San Bruno, San Mateo county, over which he presided for thirteen years. The parish house of St. Bruno’s was a veritable “house by the side of the road” for wandering, weary-footed men.
“Go up higher!” Was Archbishop Hanna’s command to Father Heverin, in July, 1929, assigning him to his present post of St. Theresa’s. It is indeed ‘higher,’ being in the lofty Potrero region, whence the eye may view with rapture the rest of the city, the neighboring communities rising on the hilly range to the east and north, and one of the grandest bays and under heaven.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 2 Pages 101-102.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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