Born in Europe in 1870, Tomasz immigrated to Buffalo, NY with his family in 1882. He attended St. Stanislaus School and the Jesuit school of St. Peter Canisius before going to Rome, Italy to study at the Gregorian University. Stabenau was awarded a doctorate in philosophy and returned to the United States in 1893. He finished his studies at Our Lady of Holy Angels Seminary in Niagara Falls, NY and, in 1894, was ordained a priest in Buffalo, NY by Bishop Ryan.

Stabenau began his priestly career as assistant at St. Stanislaus, St. Adalbert, and Transfiguration Parishes respectively. He was subsequently appointed pastor of the Church of the Assumption in Buffalo’s Black Rock area. In 1903, he was given responsibility for the newly organized parish of St. Hedwig. Here Stabenau was successful in having a combination structure built and in arranging for the Felician nuns to staff the school.

In 1911, he was reassigned to Buffalo’s St. Casimir Parish. After two years, the bishop sent him to a larger parish Holy Trinity in Niagara Falls, NY. During his stay there (which lasted until 1923), this patriotic priest fought to keep the Polish language as part of the parish school curriculum.

Stabenau’s last assignment was a pastorate at St. Hyacinth Parish in Lackawanna, NY. He was returning from a Forty Hours devotion in Salamanca, NY when a train struck the car he was driving, killing him and injuring two passengers. The young priest died on September 24, 1925 in Woodlawn, NY.