Tom Stevens receives the Madeleine Medal for service

Intermountain Catholic

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Tom Stevens

SALT LAKE CITY — Tom Stevens, a general contractor for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, received the Madeleine of Appreciation for Faithful Service award from the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, Jan. 25.

"I was stunned and very much taken by the generosity of the diocese," said Stevens. "I’ve been extremely blessed and very fortunate to be involved with so many great and dedicated people in the diocese. The work has been very rewarding and very fulfilling for me."

The Madeleine Medal of Appreciation for Faithful Service is a new award in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. It was created by Vicar General Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw in response to a need expressed by several pastors for such an award, he said. The award honors those who have exemplified faithful service to the parish or community over many years.

Tom Stevens and his wife, Jane, have been present at many of the diocesan groundbreakings and dedications "because he really has had his hand in so much of our diocese, our churches, our schools, the Pastoral Center and the Chancery," said the bishop. "He’s very supportive of our work, and he has great care and concern and love for the diocese. He’s a perfectionist; he wants everything to be done right. He knows it’s done for the people of God and he wants it to be something we can be proud of, and we know that we can go to Tom and he’ll get it done right."

Stevens has always tried to be helpful with any diocesan project, or to provide information concerning construction options, he said.

"As I became involved with the parishes, missions and schools, they became part of my life and I wanted to make sure that I completed the projects I started," he said. "It has always been rewarding to come in on the early stages of planning and be able to see a project through. There are very few parishes and schools that haven’t needed some sort of expansion, and the diocese has become a major part of my life, from archives to property management to the chancery."

Stevens began his relationship with the diocese in the 1990s, working with Deacon Silvio Mayo as chancellor and Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald as vicar general.

"Deacon Mayo’s concerns were Mount Calvary Cemetery, the bishop’s residence and various buildings on the grounds of the diocese," Stevens said. "We completely restored the Bishop Hunt Center [near the Cathedral of the Madeleine] so it could be used for a welcoming center during the 2002 Winter Olympics."

Over the years Stevens has always given the diocese sound advice on construction projects, whether it was to find the right people or himself to facilitate a project, said Msgr. Fitzgerald, who is now vicar general emeritus. "He’s been so generous in helping with the mission development in the north and in the south, and he understands the mission of the Catholic diocese very clearly; he rolls up his sleeves and donates generously to make that happen."

Deacon Mayo, who is now retired, agreed, saying, "Tom is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. He’s accommodating, trustworthy, honest, and he tries to please us in any way he can; he is just a real gentleman."

Michael Lee, director of pastoral operations, said he quickly learned that Stevens was the type of person who, after just a handshake, would get the project done on time and on budget.

Stevens was raised in the construction business; his father was a general contractor. He is from the Midwest but attended high school in Tucson, Ariz., and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in chemistry, thinking he wanted to be a doctor. He came to Salt Lake City in 1972 and became involved in a construction project at Trolley Square.

Stevens and his wife have one daughter, Katie, who graduated from J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School and Judge Memorial Catholic High School.