Rest in peace, Father Tom.
By unanimous decision of the Board of Directors of the Fair Media Council, we announce the dedication of the Folio Award for Religious Reporting in honor of Msgr. Thomas Hartman, a longtime supporter of the Fair Media Council, as well as a former board member and Folio Award winner.
On far too many occasions to count, Father Tom and his God Squad partner, Rabbi Marc Gellman, graciously gave the invocation at Fair Media Council events. What they brought to the masses at such public events were iconic moments of enlightenment and mutual understanding in a manner that was always endearing. Always inspiring. And always, undeniably, a testament to the divinity that lies deep within humanity.
The moments Father Tom provided in one-on-one encounters were no less stunning, and his willingness and selflessness to always lend a hand or offer words of encouragement will be greatly missed, as will he.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Fair Media Council, we salute the life and
times of Msgr. Thomas Hartman. While we mourn his loss, we thank him for years of devoted service and incredible friendship, and for so generously sharing his greatness to create a better world for us all.
Biography of Msgr. Thomas Hartman
Father Tom is known for his popular television show, God Squad, co-hosted by Rabbi Marc Gellman. He appears frequently as a commentator on such programs as Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer on CNN and The O’Reilly Factor and Neil Cavuto on Fox Cable News and the nationally syndicated Imus in the Morning radio show. Fr. Tom also has his own productions for Long Island on Telecare (Cablevision-Channel 29).
As an author, Father Tom has written Just a Moment: Life Matters with Father Tom and The Matter of Life and Death. He has co-authored four books with Rabbi Gellman for both children and adults, titled Where Does God Live?, which won the 1991 Christopher Award, Lost and Found, Bad Stuff in the News and How Do you Spell God? (with a forward by the Dalai Lama). This book was made into an HBO animated special which won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. Their most recent book is Religion for Dummies. Rabbi Marc Gellman and Father Tom write a weekly column for Tribune Media, which is syndicated in various newspapers around the country. The rabbi and Fr. Tom were recently named as Long Islanders of the Century in the category of Leaders & Activists in a poll taken by Newsday. Father Tom and Rabbi Gellman also write a weekly column for Chicago Tribune (which includes Newsday.)
Father Tom has been recognized for his professional and pastoral work by winning four Emmy Awards, a Telly Award, and numerous Man of the Year citations, and honorary doctorates.
Monsignor Hartman is the director of Radio and Television at Telecare, the television center for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. He was ordained on May 29, 1971 and holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and a graduate degree in Theology. In 1970, he received a Master of Divinity degree from Our Lady of Angels Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1979.
Biography Source: Diocese of Rockville Centre