Thomas Jerome Welsh

Thomas Jerome Welsh (December 20, 1921—February 19, 2009) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Arlington (1974–83) and as Bishop of Allentown (1983–97).

Early life and education

Thomas Welsh was born in Weatherly, Pennsylvania, one of five children^[1] of Edward C. and Mary A. (née Doheny) Welsh.^[2] Raised in a strict Irish Catholic family, he received his early education at the parochial school of St. Nicholas Church in Weatherly.^[2] He then attended Schwab High School, also in Weatherly, and later began his studies for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook in 1937.^[1]

Priesthood

On May 30, 1946, Welsh was ordained a priest by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul.^[3] He was then sent to continue his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law in 1949.^[4] During his summers at the Catholic University, he served as a curate at St. Paul Church in Philadelphia, Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Philadelphia, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Doylestown.^[5]

In 1949, Welsh became a professor at Southeast Catholic High School (now St. John Neumann High School) in Philadelphia.^[1] He was assigned as a curate at Holy Child Church in Philadelphia in 1951, and named a member of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal in 1958.^[2] He was appointed vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1963.^[6] He was raised to the rank of Monsignor by Pope Paul VI in September 1965, and became rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1966.^[6] During his tenure as rector, he oversaw an extensive revision of the curriculum, which earned the seminary accreditation with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; the construction of a new theology wing named Vianney Hall; and the establishment the School of Religious Studies and the School of Pastoral Studies.^[5]

Episcopacy

Philadelphia

On February 18, 1970, Welsh was appointed auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia and titular bishop of Inis Cathaig by Paul VI.^[3] He received his consecration on the following April 2 from Cardinal John Krol, with Bishops Gerald Vincent McDevitt and John Joseph Graham serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul.^[3] As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.^[4]

Arlington

Welsh was appointed the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Arlington in Virginia on June 4, 1974.^[3] He was installed on August 13 of that year.^[3] During his tenure, he established six new parishes and dedicated eleven new churches.^[4] He established the Office of Migration and Refugee Services in 1975 and the Family Life Bureau in 1977.^[4] In 1983, he founded Catholic Distance University.^[7] The number of Catholics in Arlington increased from 154,000 to 179,000 under his guidance.^[1]

Allentown

Following the resignation of Bishop Joseph M. McShea, Welsh was appointed the second Bishop of Allentown in his native Pennsylvania by Pope John Paul II on February 3, 1983.^[3] His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena on March 21 of that year.^[3] During his tenure, he established a "Stand Up For Life" campaign to encourage pro-life efforts, and frequently joined local abortion protesters for their monthly vigil at the Allentown Women's Clinic in Hanover Township.^[1] He held workshops on natural family planning and Humanae Vitae for the diocesan clergy.^[2]

Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the diocese and raised $13 million in an endowment campaign for diocesan schools and other educational efforts.^[2] He was the founding president of the board of the Catholic Home Study Institute and a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.^[2] Despite his reputation as a conservative, Welsh allowed girls to serve as altar servers at Mass, and gained recognition for his work to improve relations between Catholics and Jews.^[1] He turned his home, a mansion purchased by Bishop McShea and bequeathed to the diocese upon his death, into a center for carrying on his pastoral work.^[1]

Later life and death

After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Welsh resigned as Bishop of Allentown on December 15, 1997.^[3] He was succeeded by Bishop Edward Peter Cullen, who, like Welsh and McShea, served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia before his appointment to Allentown.^[8] During his retirement, Welsh continued to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation at parishes around the diocese.^[2]

Welsh later died at Lehigh Valley Hospital at age 87.^[1] He was buried in St. Nicholas Cemetery in his native Weatherly.^[2]

Notes

Diocese of Allentown Ordinaries Bishops Joseph Mark McShea Thomas Jerome Welsh Edward Peter Cullen John Oliver Barres Diocesan priests who became bishops Ronald William Gainer Joseph Edward Kurtz David B. Thompson Churches Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena, Allentown Parishes Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Pottsville St. John the Baptist Church, Pottsville Education High schools Allentown Central Catholic High School, Allentown Bethlehem Catholic High School, Bethlehem Berks Catholic High School, Reading Marian Catholic High School, Tamaqua Nativity BVM High School, Pottsville Notre Dame High School, Easton Pius X High School, Bangor Seminary (closed) Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton Catholicism Portal

Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington Churches and parishes Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Thomas More Parishes St. Mary's Church, Fairfax Station St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Fredericksburg Abbey Holy Cross Abbey Catholic education Higher education Catholic Distance University Christendom College Institute for the Psychological Sciences Marymount University High schools Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School Bishop Ireton High School John Paul the Great Catholic High School Oakcrest School Paul VI Catholic High School Ordinaries Past Thomas Jerome Welsh John Richard Keating Present Paul Loverde Catholicism Portal

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Ordinaries Bishops Michael Francis Egan, OFM Henry Conwell Francis Patrick Kenrick Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, CSsR Archbishops James Frederick Wood Patrick John Ryan Edmond Francis Prendergast Dennis Joseph Cardinal Dougherty John Francis Cardinal O'Hara, CSC John Joseph Cardinal Krol Anthony Joseph Cardinal Bevilacqua Justin Francis Cardinal Rigali Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Auxiliary Bishops, current Michael J. Fitzgerald John J. McIntyre Timothy C. Senior Auxiliary Bishops, former Cletus Joseph Benjamin Michael Francis Burbidge Joseph R. Cistone Michael Joseph Crane Edward Peter Cullen Louis A. DeSimone Francis James Furey John Joseph Graham Edward Hughes Hugh L. Lamb Martin Nicholas Lohmuller Robert P. Maginnis Joseph Francis Martino Joseph Carroll McCormick John Joseph McCort Gerald Vincent McDevitt Joseph P. McFadden Joseph Mark McShea Gerald Patrick O'Hara Francis B. Schulte Daniel Edward Thomas Thomas Jerome Welsh Churches Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Parish churches Immaculate Conception Old St. Joseph Old St. Mary St. Adalbert St. Agatha and St. James St. Anne St. Augustine St. Basil the Great St. Cyprian St. Donato St. Francis de Sales St. Joachim St. Nicholas of Tolentine St. William Chapels and shrines National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa National Shrine of St. John Neumann Education Seminary St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Higher education Cabrini College Chestnut Hill College Gwynedd Mercy University Holy Family University Immaculata University La Salle University Neumann University Rosemont College Saint Joseph's University Villanova University High schools Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Archbishop John Carroll High School Archbishop Prendergast High School Archbishop Ryan High School Archbishop Wood Catholic High School Bishop McDevitt High School Bishop Shanahan High School Cardinal O'Hara High School Conwell-Egan Catholic High School Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Devon Preparatory School Father Judge High School Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Holy Ghost Preparatory School John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School La Salle College High School Lansdale Catholic High School Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls Malvern Preparatory School Mercy Vocational High School Merion Mercy Academy Monsignor Bonner High School Mount Saint Joseph Academy Nazareth Academy High School Pope John Paul II High School Roman Catholic High School for Boys Saint Basil Academy Saint Joseph's Preparatory School Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School, St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls Villa Joseph Marie High School Villa Maria Academy Priests Living Edward Joseph Adams Herbert Bevard Michael Joseph Bransfield Francis Xavier DiLorenzo Joseph Anthony Galante James Patrick Green Joseph A. Pepe Nelson J. Perez Deceased Francis Brennan Edwin Byrne George Aloysius Carrell, SJ Hubert James Cartwright Joseph M. Corrigan Joseph Thomas Daley Edmond John Fitzmaurice John Edmund Fitzmaurice John Patrick Foley Francis Xavier Gartland Daniel James Gercke Ignatius Frederick Horstmann John Joseph Hughes Francis Edward Hyland Thomas Francis Kennedy Philip R. McDevitt Thomas Joseph McDonough Thomas McGovern Eugene J. McGuinness John Joseph O'Connor William O'Hara Jeremiah F. Shanahan John W. Shanahan David B. Thompson Miscellany St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C. St. Katharine Drexel, S.B.S. The Catholic Standard & Times Catholicism Portal