Born in Dublin, Ireland in May 12, 1911, Father Thomas J. Hickey studied at Mount St. Bernard Abbey in Leicester, England, where he was ordained a priest in 1938. During WWII he was a Temporary Chaplin to the American 8th Air Force stationed in Extor, Rictlandshire.
Father Hickey came to Colorado in 1947 and served in Parishes in Pueblo, La Junta, Mancos and Paonia. He was appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart in Fruita in 1963.
Father Thomas Hickey authored "Catholics on the Western Slope". He saved money for remodeling according to Vatican II standards and purchased the hall across the street from the Mormon Church in 1963.