Deacon Martin A. Thiel – A funeral Mass was celebrated by Bishop Nelson Perez on Jan. 6 at St. Thomas More Church, Brooklyn, for Deacon Martin A. Thiel. Father Neil Walters was homilist. Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Roger Gries presided at the Jan. 5 vespers, with Father William Bouhall as homilist.
Deacon Thiel, 80, died on Jan. 2. He is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was ordained on May 31, 1986 by Bishop Anthony Pilla at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Deacon Thiel was assigned as pastoral minister at St. Thomas More Parish, Brooklyn, where he served until his retirement on May 4, 2017. He also served as a part-time chaplain at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center from June 1991 to September 2015.
His gentle smile and generous spirit, as well as his faithful commitment to the incarcerated and their families will be greatly missed.
Interment was private after cremation.