Farewell to a missionary

Bishop Beckman, Archbishop Kurtz lead funeral Mass for Father Joseph Hammond

By Bill Brewer and Dan McWilliams

Father Joseph Mary Aryee Hammond, CHS, who had served in the Diocese of Knoxville since 1998, was laid to rest on Aug. 16 following a funeral Mass at St. John Neumann Church celebrated by Bishop Mark Beckman and concelebrated by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz.

Father Hammond died on Aug. 9 following a recent illness. He had been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer over the summer. The native of Ghana, Africa, was 79 and had been in residence at St. John Neumann in Farragut. He was a priest of the Crusaders of the Holy Spirit community.

Loved ones, friends, and supporters of Father Hammond filled St. John Neumann Church, joining nearly 20 priests and more than a half-dozen deacons in celebrating his life and service to God and God’s people.

“Father Joseph was a loving, humble, and good priest and will be deeply missed. I am grateful for his wonderful service in our diocese,” Bishop Beckman said following Father Hammond’s death.

Surrounded by love

Father Michael Maples, who has served as an associate priest at St. John Neumann and is now on staff at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., delivered the homily.

Father Maples, in acknowledging the many priests in attendance as well as members of Father Hammond’s family from Texas, said the funeral served as both a “homegoing” because Father Hammond was going home to God and a “homecoming” because so many people close to the departed priest had gathered to show their love and pay their respects.

The diocesan priest, who resided at St. John Neumann with Father Hammond for more than 10 years, quoted from Ecclesiastes 3, saying “there is a time to die.”

“Father Joseph was one of ours. He was our brother. He was our father,” Father Maples said, noting that so many people die in silence and die alone. “Not our Father Joseph. He died surrounded by love.”

Father Maples pointed out that many people visited with Father Hammond during his final days, including his former parishioners from Notre Dame in Greeneville and St. Patrick in Morristown.

And he noted that on Aug. 5, the 36th anniversary of Father Hammond’s ordination to the priesthood, Father Hammond celebrated Mass with St. John Neumann pastor Father Mark Schuster and associate pastor Father Bo Beaty in Father Hammond’s room at St. John Neumann, even though Father Hammond was in hospice. Among those also at Father Hammond’s bedside was Monsignor Patrick Garrity, who was a close friend to Father Hammond and has extolled all the good Father Hammond did in his ministry.

“Songs were sung. They were songs of joy. Even in the face of death, sadness would not win,” Father Maples eulogized. “As Father Joseph was nearing his last moments in his earthly (home), these visitors kept death from having any kind of victory. And as Joseph breathed his last breath, he laid his burdens down and was sent to heavenly angels amid expressions of love.”

Father Maples asked what inspires such devotion if it isn’t love? He said it begins with the love that Father Hammond shared with the people he encountered.

And he shared that it was that love that drew people to Father Hammond, even during his final days.

“Just as Father had sat by so many bedsides during his life and ministry, the bedsides of people who were ill and dying, who were expecting a miracle, some of whom got that miracle. He sat with people who were journeying through uncertainty, pain, grief, whatever it might be. People who Joseph said had been inspired, lifted up, and shared with the gift of the holy presence, the eucharistic gift of holy presence that in a special way a priest is, not out of obligation, but out of love,” Father Maples said.

The pastoral colleague and friend of Father Hammond said the Crusader of the Holy Spirit was true to his namesake: “He was a quiet and holy presence, and an active presence. Love is never passive.”

Father Maples listed a number of adjectives to describe Father Hammond: patient, gentle, giving, selfless, sacrificial.

“There are number of people here who remember his laughter. I lived upstairs from him, and I could hear his laughter. It was just a joyful laughter, a truly resonating laughter,” he said. “Father Joseph saw more than most of us will ever see. He gave and he gave up more than most of us will ever give or give up. He shared more than most of us will ever share. He did more good than most of us will ever do. He suffered and survived more than most of us will.”

And on a very personal level, Father Maples shared that Father Hammond lost more battles over the rectory thermostat than most anyone will, a comment that drew knowing laughs. Those lost debates over temperature often led the elder priest to seek solace in the sun.

Kindness and love came very naturally to Father Hammond despite the hardships he endured, according to Father Maples.

“Think about all of his journeys, everything he had been through. He could have ended up a pessimist. Let’s not forget that he was a missionary. And a missionary ministers in challenging circumstances and even unusual places. That helped him develop that spirit that we all know so well. He rarely talked about himself—rarely. To get him to share much about himself, you would have had to ask him very direct questions,” Father Maples said.

Crusader of the Holy Spirit

Father Maples described how Father Hammond’s early years of life in Africa were instrumental in his formation as a man of God, a Crusader of the Holy Spirit.

“He was on fire, yes. But his fire was not a self-consuming one. It was an energizing one. It was an energizing one that even in his last weeks it prompted him to minister, whether it was saying Mass from a wheelchair. Good luck trying to talk him into not doing it—because he was a missionary, and he loved the people. He loved the Mass,” Father Maples said. “His crusade was to win souls for God. His destination was wherever the Holy Spirit was.”

Father Maples remarked that Father Hammond’s journey would lead him from the African nation of Ghana, which was once ruled by Great Britain, to Great Britain, which served as a place of vocation formation for him, to ready him for his missionary work.

“That eventually led him to eastern Tennessee. An African priest in East Tennessee ministering in a special way to Spanish-speakers, and not only to the Spanish-speaking faithful. The Holy Spirit’s work involves many languages and identities. Father Joseph was equally gifted and equally as loving and giving in ministering to Anglos in Farragut, Morristown, Greeneville, and many places in between,” Father Maples said. “He was as comfortable giving first holy Communion, as he did several times as part of his normal course of duties, to an 8-year-old at a St. John Neumann School Mass as he was anointing an 88-year-old woman who had forgotten how to speak English and could only speak her native language: Spanish.”

Father Maples also described Father Hammond as a model of priestly virtue who was a respected brother priest.

“He was a calm presence for us, especially during times when we priests had difficulty being calm. Over the last year, we saw him at more priestly gatherings, which was challenging for him because he had received a transplant several years ago, which itself was a miracle for a number of reasons,” Father Maples shared.

He said Father Hammond attended a diocesan priest convocation in June and his brother priests were so glad to see him there, and they welcomed him.

Father Maples noted that remembering Father Hammond evokes many memories, including serving as a seminarian with him for two summers at St. Patrick, serving Mass with him and for him. Father Hammond concelebrated Father Maples’ ordination to the priesthood in July 2005 at Sacred Heart Cathedral and also concelebrated Father Maples’ first Mass of thanksgiving and the funeral Mass for Father Maples’ mother.

“He was part of the fabric of my life. Some of the happiest times were in our rectory, when we would gather as priests, especially around the holidays, sharing a meal and sharing stories,” he said, holding back tears, and adding that the rectory is different now because he isn’t there. “So, for now, it is a time of remembrance. It’s a time of silence. But in our remembering, there is joy. And in the silence of our hearts, there are the stories and the memories that I know will forever inspire our heart, our priestly heart. And our hearts will never be silent as we think about and reflect upon him. Because with him, even now, there is always a time for rejoicing.”

Deacon Jim Fage, who served for several years with Father Hammond at St. Patrick, gave a eulogy following the liturgy of the Eucharist.

Deacon Fage said Monsignor Garrity called him to let him know that Father Hammond had requested that he give a eulogy at his funeral.

“I was very honored that my beloved friend had asked me to do this. And then I realized, oh my, what am I going to say?”

Deacon Fage said he then understood that Father Hammond was providing him a final teaching moment.

“In our many, many conversations, he seemed to end every conversation with one teaching moment,” he said. “Anyone who met Father Joseph for the first time would realize how quickly they would be put at ease. With his gentle eyes and smile, they would see his humble kindness that made him so very approachable. And he had such a booming, infectious laugh,” Deacon Fage recalled, noting that he first met Father Hammond in 2001.

“When I first met him, I had a hard time understanding his foreign accent. But when I relaxed and tried not so hard, I understood Father Joseph very well—except for when he got excited.”

And the deacon never got any punchline of a joke Father Hammond ever told, which apparently was a common occurrence, according to others.

“I’m sure he told some doozies. Because he would crack himself up,” Deacon Fage shared. “And when he did, he would get excited and start talking faster and faster. But everyone would laugh, because his laughter was so contagious.”

‘Crazy Americans’

Deacon Fage noted that soon after he first met Father Hammond, he accompanied the priest to his immigration hearings in Memphis. Father Hammond was working to become a U.S. citizen.

“One of his famous sayings was ‘You crazy Americans.’ And we probably were. But when I accompanied him to his swearing-in ceremony, he was saying right before it, ‘You crazy Americans.’ Afterward, all the way back to St. Patrick, he was saying, ‘I’m now a crazy American.’ And he was. And we loved him for it.”

Deacon Fage, who considered Father Hammond “a very humble man” who “never wanted attention,” noted that a charity Father Hammond was especially close to was a leper colony in his home country of Ghana that the priest helped financially support.

And the Ghanaian priest always shared photos, videos, and stories of his visits home.

Deacon Fage was always impressed by Father Hammond’s ability to turn situations into teaching moments, and the deacon always was a willing and appreciative student. “His love of God and neighbor was there every moment of every day. He wasn’t perfect, but he would always remind you, ‘We are not God. We just do our best. And when we do our best and have success, we give God the credit. …’”

“Father Joseph was a great man, a great friend, and a great priest. We shared God’s joy and love. He lived a humble and happy life, and he shared it with all around him. His smile, laughter, and positivity will be greatly missed. God has blessed us to have known him in our lives. His legacy of kindness and faith continue to inspire us. May God welcome home this faithful servant, our brother, Father Joseph Mary Aryee Hammond,” Deacon Fage concluded.

Archbishop Kurtz also eulogized the priest who had served for him from 1999-2007 when he was the Diocese of Knoxville’s second bishop.

“Monsignor Garrity has been such a great friend to Father Joseph for so many years. I want to thank you for taking time to call me to let me know that Father Joseph was in his last days, in fact, his last hours. Thank you very much, Pat,” the archbishop said.

“There are many ways we can describe Father Joseph. We know he will be welcomed into heaven. We know his faith. And we also are aware that in our own hearts we will miss him, and we will be the lesser because of his absence. I say that for all of the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville and certainly for his family members who traveled here from Texas, and especially for his brother priests who lost someone who was part of their fraternity,” said Archbishop Kurtz, who told the congregation that Father Hammond was given the heart of Christ.

“Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you for I am meek and humble of heart (Matthew 11:28-29). I thought, wow, that is Father Joseph Hammond,” said the retired bishop, who served as archbishop of Louisville from 2007-22.

Archbishop Kurtz recalled that when he arrived in the Diocese of Knoxville 26 years ago, Father Hammond had been serving in the diocese for a year. “So, for 27 years Father Joseph has served faithfully and served beautifully. But most especially, when he would speak to me, and I think you would probably say the same, it was as if you were the only one in the room. He had the gift of seeing others and loving them, and doing so in a humble way. So, we pray with gratitude that he was placed in our life for a time. We pray that he will be with God in heaven. And we pray that because of him, the joy of Jesus Christ will reside more deeply in our hearts. May he rest in peace.”

Bishop Beckman then gave the final commendation.

“Dear brothers and sisters, before we go our separate ways, let us now take leave of our brother, Father Joseph Hammond. May our farewell express our affection for him, may it ease our sadness and strengthen our heart. One day, we shall joyfully greet him again when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even death itself,” the bishop said.

Following the funeral Mass, Bishop Beckman presided at the burial service for Father Hammond at Holy Cross Cemetery in Loudon County between Concord and Lenoir City. The new cemetery is now the Diocese of Knoxville’s third Catholic burial site. Father Hammond is the first person buried in the cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were Father Schuster, Father Beaty, Monsignor Garrity, Father Peter Iorio, Father Christopher Floersh, and Father Hoan Dinh.

During the burial service, members of the Missionary Congregation of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary serving at St. John Neumann sang a hymn from their native Africa. A bilingual Scripture service preceded the funeral Mass the night before.

A life of service

Father Hammond served for many years as the Five Rivers Deanery coordinator of Hispanic ministry after being appointed to the role by then-Bishop Kurtz in June 2001.

He served as part-time associate pastor at both Notre Dame and St. Patrick and celebrated Masses in Spanish for those two parishes as well as for Good Shepherd in Newport and the Hispanic workers at the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Scott Strawberry & Tomato Farms in the town of Unicoi. At that time, Unicoi County did not have a Catholic parish but was part of the territory of St. Mary in Johnson City.

Father Hammond became the full-time associate at St. Patrick in April 2005 and continued in his deanery Hispanic Ministry role until Bishop Richard F. Stika named him pastor of the Morristown parish in 2010.

During his time at St. John Neumann, Father Hammond extended his pastoral care to the Hispanic communities of St. Alphonsus (Crossville), Holy Ghost (Knoxville), and Our Lady of Fatima (Alcoa), offering the sacraments and spiritual guidance with great joy and humility.

Knoxville’s founding Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell invited Father Hammond to serve in the diocese in late winter 1998. Father Hammond visited East Tennessee at that time and first served as a volunteer at Notre Dame and at St. Patrick until he could obtain a resident visa in the United States.

Born on July 21, 1946, in Accra, Gold Coast (now Ghana), the future priest was the beloved son of Joseph Nii Quita Hammond and Rebecca Dedei Quarshie. He was one of three brothers, alongside Joshua Nii Ayi Hammond and Emmanuel Nii Armah Hammond. Raised a Methodist, he was baptized and confirmed at age 9 at Sacred Heart Parish in Accra.

From an early age, Father Hammond showed a deep commitment to his Catholic faith and began his religious life as a Brother of the St. John of God order, serving in Koforidua, Ghana. The Spanish order does hospital ministry. In 1972, he traveled to Spain to study nursing.

In 1979, he went to Liberia, where he worked in St. John’s Hospital in the capital of Monrovia. Five years later, he traveled to London to study for the priesthood with the Crusaders of the Holy Spirit at the Mill Hill Missionary Institute. CHS priests also serve in England, Ireland, Venezuela, Colombia, and Argentina.

Father Hammond was ordained a priest on Aug. 5, 1989, at St. Patrick Church in Birmingham, England, by Bishop Joseph Francis Cleary.

From London, he traveled to Venezuela and served in parish work in the town of Guanarito for six years.

Father Hammond returned to his home parish in Accra for two years, serving there until his superior asked him to come to the United States, where at the time the CHS order had only one other priest, who was serving in New York state.

After arriving in America, Father Hammond contacted Father Tom Powers, whom he met when he was studying for the priesthood in London. Father Powers served in the Diocese of Knoxville in the early 1990s before retiring to Greer, S.C. Father Powers introduced Father Hammond to Bishop O’Connell, who issued his invitation with a view to Father Hammond serving in the diocese.

In early 2011, Father Hammond became a U.S. citizen, and his parish family at St. Patrick helped him celebrate the occasion. About 15 St. Patrick parishioners attended the ceremony in Knoxville, and more than 200 turned out for a “Citizenship Celebration” for their pastor on Feb. 26 at the parish center.

Father Hammond will be remembered for his missionary heart, his unwavering faith, and his kindness and deep love for the people he served across continents. His legacy of service and compassion lives on in the many lives he touched throughout Ghana, Spain, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the United States.