“Gathering the Quiet,” a book of spiritual reflections, was recently published by local resident Tom Hines.

by Marsha Chartrand

A former resident of Manchester who is also a former volunteer wrestling coach at Manchester High School under coach Steve Vlcek, has written a book, Gathering the Quiet,  that is available on Amazon and is also featured in the Brooklyn Library. (It will also soon be available at the Manchester District Library.)

Although it’s been nearly 20 years since Tom Hines moved from Manchester to his current home on Beech Road near Brooklyn, he’s retained his Manchester ties, especially with the wrestling team.

“I served two four-year stints as a volunteer assistant coach to Steve Vlcek at the fine Manchester High School wrestling program, creating lasting relationships with student athletes, parents, and the community,” he says.

Tom has a bit of an unusual history that you might not expect of an author, says his neighbor and longtime friend Cathy King from Frog Holler Farm. Originally from Ypsilanti, he attended the University of Michigan on a wrestling scholarship, thus his interest in the MHS Wrestling program! But he eventually left U-M to attend Sacred Heart Seminary where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1972. He then made his living in the construction business while gaining a Master of Theological Studies in 1982 from St. John’s Provincial Seminary.

After becoming empty nesters, Tom and his wife, Sandy, lived in Manchester for about 10 years. When he retired from construction, he built one more house and he and Sandy moved from Manchester into that new address in the Brooklyn/Irish Hills area. Tom’s helpful spirit has led him to help out the King family at their annual summer Holler Fest music and arts event, using his construction know-how and tools, along with the generosity of his spirit, to help hammer the festival into reality.

“If you have been to Holler Fest and seen the impressive bonfires, that is also Tom’s doing!” says Cathy King.

Also in retirement, Tom’s contemplative side led him to write a series of weekly emails, Friday Rx and Friday Letters To God, which he describes as “reflections on the nature of ‘being’ and the nature of symbol and language and the ability/possibility of communicating with our suspicion of Divine in a time when the language and models of our parents may seem out of step.”

He sent the first emails to neighbors and friends, and as time went on, readership grew and the response was favorable.

“A reader in West Virginia connected me with another reader in West Virginia, Debora McNeer, who is experienced in the process of book design and development, and she volunteered to take on the project of making the Friday reflections into book form,” Tom explained. “The pieces already had been edited weekly by Cathy King so were in decent order to proceed.

“The cover art is by longtime Manchester resident, my sister, Kerry LaCross. Thus, a book.”

Simple wisdom in a not-so-simple world. Perhaps it is just what we need today.