Edward Thaddeus Lawton

Edward T. Lawton, OP (October 12, 1913 – December 19, 1966) was an American-born bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria from 1964-1966.

Early life and education

Born in South Boston in Massachusetts, Lawton was educated at St. Francis de Sales School, Boston College High School, and Boston College.^[1] He entered the Dominican novitiate at St. Rose Priory in Springfield, Kentucky and he made his first profession of vows on August 16, 1937. His philosophical and theological studies were taken at the Dominican House of Studies in River Forest, Illinois and he was ordained a priest there on June 6, 1943.^[2]

Priesthood

Lawton's first assignment as a priest was teaching at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois where he remained until 1951.^[1] That year he entered the missionary field in Nigeria. He became the director of the Thomistic Institute where he lectured at both Yaba and Lagos. Lawton gave retreats to priests and religious during breaks in the academic year. He also served as the archdiocesan director for Catholic radio programs. The Prefecture of Sokoto was established on January 15, 1954 and he was appointed its first Prefect Apostolic. He was invested on November 13, 1954 at St. Pius V Church in Chicago. He initially established himself at Gusau. The prefecture had 1,200 Catholics among five million people, most of whom were Muslim.^[1] He served there with one other priest until 1956 when fellow Dominicans from the St. Albert the Great Province in the United States arrived as well as Dominican Sisters from Great Bend, Kansas. He moved from Gusau to Sokoto in 1961. He suffered several health problems, including a heart attack. The prefecture grew to more than 10,000 people and it was elevated to a diocese on June 16, 1964.^[1][2]

Bishop of Sokoto

On June 16, 1964 Pope Paul VI appointed Lawton as the first Bishop of Sokoto. He was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop John McCarthy, S.M.A. of Kaduna on August 15, 1964. The principal co-consecrators were Bishop John J. Reddington, S.M.A. of Jos and Auxiliary Bishop John Kwao Amuzu Aggey of Lagos.^[3] He attended the last two sessions of the Second Vatican Council in 1964 and 1965.^[1] While traveling in an automobile he suffered a coronary thrombosis and died on December 19, 1966. He funeral was held the following day at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Gusau and his body was laid to rest in the cemetery adjacent to the church.

References