Human Life International -HLI President, Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer

Biography of Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President, Human Life International
April 2008

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer ( EYE-ten-our) became president of Human Life International in December of 2000. Human Life International is the world’s largest pro-life organization with affiliate offices and associates in eighty countries around the world. In seven years of service to this unique mission Fr. Euteneuer has traveled more than 900,000 miles as a pro-life missionary and visited fifty-five countries.

Fr. Euteneuer was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1962, the fourth of seven children born to Joseph and Marian Euteneuer. He has a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana as well as a Licentiate degree in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He is fluent in Spanish.

While in college, Fr. Euteneuer participated in the Marine Corps Officer Candidate Program, attended boot camp at Quantico, Virginia and graduated at the top of his Company. After discerning that the Lord was calling him to the priesthood rather than the military, he entered the seminary. After his ordination in 1988, Fr. Euteneuer served as a parish priest in five parishes of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, secretary to the diocesan bishop, director of vocations, and spiritual moderator for the diocesan Respect Life Office.

His pro-life activity began in the early years of his priesthood with prayer vigils, pilgrimages, pickets at abortion mills, sidewalk counseling and the establishment of a crisis pregnancy center across the street from an abortion mill in 1999.

Since taking office at HLI, Fr. Euteneuer has spoken directly to tens of thousands of people all over the world spreading the Gospel of Life as well as making many appearances on EWTN and other media. He has been featured in Human Events and Envoy magazine and has appeared on local and national television many times. His now-famous Fox News interview with Sean Hannity on the subject of contraception has merited him both praise and criticism for his defense of Church teaching. He was awarded the John Cardinal O’Connor Award for Life from Legatus in 2005 and the “Soldier of the Church Militant” Award from the Brent Society in 2007.