At their November Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) conducted a canonical consultation regarding the potential cause for beatification and canonization of Reverend Richard M. Thomas, SJ. The discussion was led by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, along with Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces.

The bishops voted overwhelmingly to support advancing Father Thomas’s cause at the diocesan level, with 206 votes in favor, four against, and one abstention.

A brief biography provided by the Diocese of Las Cruces describes Father Richard Thomas as being born on March 1, 1928, in Seffner, Florida. He attended Catholic schools and graduated from Jesuit High School in Tampa before entering the Jesuit order in 1945. He was ordained as a priest in San Francisco in 1958.

In 1964, Father Thomas was assigned to lead Our Lady’s Youth Center in El Paso, Texas. There he expanded its ministry to serve poor communities not only locally but also into New Mexico and Juarez, Mexico.

One notable event occurred on Christmas Day in 1972 when Father Thomas invited a prayer group from El Paso to serve dinner to people living at a garbage dump in Juarez after reflecting on Luke 14:12-14. Although they brought enough food for 150 people, over 300 attended and all were fed with food left over for three orphanages afterward. The group later believed this was an example of divine intervention that encouraged them to continue supporting the community through regular visits and new ministries such as food banks, outreach programs for prisoners, medical clinics, dental services, and scholarships for students.

According to accounts from those who knew him, while Father Thomas acknowledged miracles like what happened at the Christmas dinner in 1972, he did not make them central to his work or message. Instead he viewed such events as encouragement from God for Christians to act according to His will. He often emphasized that sharing with those in need is a fundamental Christian duty rooted in Catholic social teaching and Gospel values.