Thomas Jerome Welsh
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jerome Welsh was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Arlington
(1974–83) and as Bishop of Allentown
(1983–97).
, Pennsylvania
, one of five children of Edward C. and Mary A. (née Doheny) Welsh. Raised in a strict Irish Catholic
family, he received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Nicholas Church in Weatherly. 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.
a priest by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty
at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. 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. 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
.
In 1949, Welsh became a professor at Southeast Catholic High School
(now St. John Neumann High School) in Philadelphia. 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. He was appointed vice-chancellor
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
in 1963. 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. 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.
of Philadelphia and titular bishop
of Inis Cathaig
by Paul VI. 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. As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
of the newly-erected Diocese of Arlington
in Virginia
on June 4, 1974. He was installed on August 13 of that year. During his tenure, he established six new parishes and dedicated eleven new churches. He established the Office of Migration and Refugee Services in 1975 and the Family Life Bureau in 1977. In 1983, he founded Catholic Distance University
. The number of Catholics in Arlington increased from 154,000 to 179,000 under his guidance.
, Welsh was appointed the second Bishop of Allentown
in his native Pennsylvania by Pope John Paul II
on February 3, 1983. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena
on March 21 of that year. 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
. He held workshops on natural family planning
and Humanae Vitae
for the diocesan clergy.
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. 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. Despite his reputation as a conservative
, Welsh allowed girls to serve as altar server
s at Mass, and gained recognition for his work to improve relations between Catholics and Jews. 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.
, who, like Welsh and McShea, served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia before his appointment to Allentown. During his retirement, Welsh continued to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation
at parishes around the diocese.
Welsh later died at Lehigh Valley Hospital at age 87. He was buried in St. Nicholas Cemetery in his native Weatherly.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Arlington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 68 located in the 21 northern-most counties within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Clarke,...
(1974–83) and as Bishop of Allentown
Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown is a Roman Catholic diocese comprising the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill, in the United States. Its cathedral is the Cathedral Church of Saint Catharine of Siena, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
(1983–97).
Early life and education
Thomas Welsh was born in WeatherlyWeatherly, Pennsylvania
Weatherly a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Jim Thorpe and northwest of Allentown. Early in the twentieth century, there were silk mills, foundries, a candy factory, a fabricating plant, and a cigar factory. In 1900 2,471 people lived there, and in 1910, the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, one of five children of Edward C. and Mary A. (née Doheny) Welsh. Raised in a strict Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
family, he received his early education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. Nicholas Church in Weatherly. He then attended Schwab High School, also in Weatherly, and later began his studies for the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
in Overbrook in 1937.
Priesthood
On May 30, 1946, Welsh was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty
Dennis Joseph Dougherty
Dennis Joseph Dougherty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1918 until his death in 1951, and was created a cardinal in 1921.-Early life and education:...
at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. He was then sent to continue his studies at the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he earned a doctorate in canon law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
in 1949. During his summers at the Catholic University, he served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Paul Church in Philadelphia, Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Philadelphia, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Doylestown
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
.
In 1949, Welsh became a professor at Southeast Catholic High School
Saint John Neumann High School (Pennsylvania)
Saint John Neumann High School was an all-male Roman Catholic high school located in the South Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
(now St. John Neumann High School) in Philadelphia. 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. He was appointed vice-chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
in 1963. He was raised to the rank of Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
in September 1965, and became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1966. 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
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
; the construction of a new theology wing named Vianney Hall; and the establishment the School of Religious Studies and the School of Pastoral Studies.
Philadelphia
On February 18, 1970, Welsh was appointed auxiliary bishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Philadelphia and titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Inis Cathaig
Inis Cathaig (titular see)
Inis Cathaig is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland.-History:Inis Cathaig has its basis in the Scattery Island Cathedral and monastery, an early Christian place of pilgrimage, where St Senan, Bishop and confessor, founded a monastery, in the Shannon estuary, 5 km southwest of...
by Paul VI. He received his consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following April 2 from Cardinal John Krol, with Bishops Gerald Vincent McDevitt
Gerald Vincent McDevitt
Gerald Vincent McDevitt was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1962 until his death in 1980.-Biography:...
and John Joseph Graham
John Joseph Graham
John Joseph Graham was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1964 to 1988.-Early life and education:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
Arlington
Welsh was appointed the first BishopOrdinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the newly-erected Diocese of Arlington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 68 located in the 21 northern-most counties within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Clarke,...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on June 4, 1974. He was installed on August 13 of that year. During his tenure, he established six new parishes and dedicated eleven new churches. He established the Office of Migration and Refugee Services in 1975 and the Family Life Bureau in 1977. In 1983, he founded Catholic Distance University
Catholic Distance University
Catholic Distance University , located in Hamilton, Virginia, is a private undergraduate and graduate institution that is "in the vanguard of Catholic distance learning." Established in 1983 in the Arlington diocese by Bishop Welsh, CDU offers an accredited bachelor degree in theology completion...
. The number of Catholics in Arlington increased from 154,000 to 179,000 under his guidance.
Allentown
Following the resignation of Bishop Joseph M. McSheaJoseph Mark McShea
Joseph Mark McShea was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Allentown from 1961 to 1983.-Early life and education:...
, Welsh was appointed the second Bishop of Allentown
Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown is a Roman Catholic diocese comprising the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill, in the United States. Its cathedral is the Cathedral Church of Saint Catharine of Siena, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
in his native Pennsylvania by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on February 3, 1983. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena
Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena
The Cathedral Church of St. Catharine of Siena is the home of the Diocese of Allentown. It is located at 1825 Turner Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania.-History of the Parish:...
on March 21 of that year. During his tenure, he established a "Stand Up For Life" campaign to encourage pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
efforts, and frequently joined local abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
protesters for their monthly vigil at the Allentown Women's Clinic in Hanover Township
Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Hanover Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hanover Township is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The township's population was 1,913 at the 2000 census....
. He held workshops on natural family planning
Natural family planning
Natural family planning is a term referring to the family planning methods approved by the Roman Catholic Church. In accordance with the Church's requirements for sexual behavior in keeping with its philosophy of the dignity of the human person, NFP excludes the use of other methods of birth...
and Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continuing proscription of most forms of birth...
for the diocesan clergy.
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. 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
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
in Washington, D.C. Despite his reputation as a conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
, Welsh allowed girls to serve as altar server
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
s at Mass, and gained recognition for his work to improve relations between Catholics and Jews. 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.
Later life and death
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Welsh resigned as Bishop of Allentown on December 15, 1997. He was succeeded by Bishop Edward Peter CullenEdward Peter Cullen
Edward Peter Cullen is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Allentown. His resignation was accepted on 27 May 2009 by Pope Benedict. . At the same time, Pope Benedict named Msgr...
, who, like Welsh and McShea, served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia before his appointment to Allentown. During his retirement, Welsh continued to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation
Confirmation (Catholic Church)
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments through which Catholics pass in the process of their religious upbringing. According to Catholic doctrine, in this sacrament they receive the Holy Spirit and become adult members of the Catholic Church....
at parishes around the diocese.
Welsh later died at Lehigh Valley Hospital at age 87. He was buried in St. Nicholas Cemetery in his native Weatherly.