Greetings to my new parish family!
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption church. I am following the many years of service of Fr. Burke, and more recently of Fr. Rutherford and Fr. Joseph. I look forward to getting to know you.
This is an exciting time to start my service as pastor, as we begin a new year under our newly-installed Bishop Mark. Our parish community is strong in its faith and generous in its service. I look forward to working with all of you as we journey in our faith and work to welcome more people into our parish community.
Please keep me in your prayers as we move forward together!
God Bless,
Fr. Tom
A Little bit about Fr. Tom
Fr. Tom describes his move to Our Lady of the Assumption as a “sort of homecoming.” The youngest of four boys, Fr. Tom was born in Utica, New York, and grew up in Colonie. He graduated from Shaker High School (1988) and Union College (1992), and he earned his law degree from Harvard Law School (1995).
He first felt a call to priesthood in college, but after a period of discernment, his life took a different direction. He married and worked as a lawyer for over twenty-five years, first in New York City and then back home in Albany. He served for several years as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn.
Fr. Tom felt the call to ministry later in life, while active at St. Pius X Parish and after his marriage ended. He found in his parish service and working with the pastor, Fr. James Walsh, great peace and joy. Over time, he entered the Diocese’s discernment program and was accepted as a seminarian. After studies at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry and Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, he completed his formation with a pastoral year at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Schenectady with the pastor, Fr. Bob Longobucco.
Fr. Tom was ordained a priest in May 2024. Since then, he has served at St. Kateri as parochial vicar.
Fr. Tom is blessed to be the father of Luke Fallato, who holds a degree in theology and sacred music from Franciscan University of Steubenville and who lives in the Albany area. Fr. Tom shares a close relationship with his mother, Mary, who recently turned ninety-eight and still lives where he grew up in Loudonville.
In addition to his parish work, Fr. Tom serves as an Assistant Vocation Director for the Diocese, serves as chaplain to the diocesan Catholic Lawyers Guild and works in the Catholic chaplaincies at Union College and Albany Law School. He also serves as a board member of the Friends of Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine, Inc. Fr. Tom also authors a monthly column for The Evangelist.
In his free time, Fr. Tom enjoys reading, traveling with his son and visiting historical sites.
