Monsignor Thomas Jerome Welsh was born on December 20, 1921, in Weatherly, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, to Edward C. Welsh and Mary Doheny.
Bishop Welsh attended Saint Nicholas Grade School and Schwab High School, both in Weatherly. In 1937, he entered the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, to begin studies for the priesthood. The late Cardinal Dennis Dougherty ordained him a priest on May 30, 1946, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, and successively was sent to do graduate studies in canon law at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law.
He was then appointed as professor at the former Southeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia where he served for two years. He later served as an assistant pastor at a parish in Philadelphia
In 1958, Bishop Welsh was appointed member of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal and in 1963, vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese. Pope Paul VI named him a Monsignor in September of 1965, and in 1966, Cardinal John Joseph Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia appointed Welsh as rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. The Pope named him Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Inis Cathaig on April 2, 1970, from the named Cardinal Krol, assisted by Bishops Gerald Vincent McDevitt and John Joseph Graham.
In June of 1974, Bishop Welsh was appointed the Founding Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Arlington, Virginia and was formally installed on August 13, 1974. Bishop Welsh was named as Bishop of Allentown on February 3, 1983, when Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph Mark McShea, Founding bishop of the Allentown Diocese. He was installed as the Second Bishop of Allentown March 21, 1983, in the Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena.
Immediately after his installation Bishop Welsh gave indications that he wanted to be a pastor among his people. He held six regional celebrations throughout the Diocese to which he invited not only the faithful of the area, but also religious and civic leaders, to meet him. The Bishop in turn, participated in several businessman's luncheons, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs meetings, communion breakfasts, parish confirmations and Catholic high school commencements.
He established a Diocesan Stand Up For Life Campaign to encourage heightened pro-life efforts among the faithful of the Diocese. He held two one-day workshops on natural family planning and on the Papal encyclical "Humanae Vitae" for the priests of the diocese. The Bishop personally led a group of couples preparing for marriage through three sessions of the diocesan marriage preparation dialogues.
Bishop Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the Diocese and raised $13,000,000 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, Washington, D.C.
In December of 1997, Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop Welsh's resignation as Bishop of Allentown. After the installation of his successor in February of 1998, Bishop Welsh remained active, administering the sacrament of confirmation at churches around the diocese.
He died at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Thursday, February 19, 2009, aged 87, after a short illness. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia, presided his funeral Mass on Saturday, February 28.
Bishop Welsh attended Saint Nicholas Grade School and Schwab High School, both in Weatherly. In 1937, he entered the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, to begin studies for the priesthood. The late Cardinal Dennis Dougherty ordained him a priest on May 30, 1946, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, and successively was sent to do graduate studies in canon law at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law.
He was then appointed as professor at the former Southeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia where he served for two years. He later served as an assistant pastor at a parish in Philadelphia
In 1958, Bishop Welsh was appointed member of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal and in 1963, vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese. Pope Paul VI named him a Monsignor in September of 1965, and in 1966, Cardinal John Joseph Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia appointed Welsh as rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. The Pope named him Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Inis Cathaig on April 2, 1970, from the named Cardinal Krol, assisted by Bishops Gerald Vincent McDevitt and John Joseph Graham.
In June of 1974, Bishop Welsh was appointed the Founding Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Arlington, Virginia and was formally installed on August 13, 1974. Bishop Welsh was named as Bishop of Allentown on February 3, 1983, when Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph Mark McShea, Founding bishop of the Allentown Diocese. He was installed as the Second Bishop of Allentown March 21, 1983, in the Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena.
Immediately after his installation Bishop Welsh gave indications that he wanted to be a pastor among his people. He held six regional celebrations throughout the Diocese to which he invited not only the faithful of the area, but also religious and civic leaders, to meet him. The Bishop in turn, participated in several businessman's luncheons, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs meetings, communion breakfasts, parish confirmations and Catholic high school commencements.
He established a Diocesan Stand Up For Life Campaign to encourage heightened pro-life efforts among the faithful of the Diocese. He held two one-day workshops on natural family planning and on the Papal encyclical "Humanae Vitae" for the priests of the diocese. The Bishop personally led a group of couples preparing for marriage through three sessions of the diocesan marriage preparation dialogues.
Bishop Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the Diocese and raised $13,000,000 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, Washington, D.C.
In December of 1997, Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop Welsh's resignation as Bishop of Allentown. After the installation of his successor in February of 1998, Bishop Welsh remained active, administering the sacrament of confirmation at churches around the diocese.
He died at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Thursday, February 19, 2009, aged 87, after a short illness. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia, presided his funeral Mass on Saturday, February 28.
Monsignor Thomas Jerome Welsh was born on December 20, 1921, in Weatherly, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, to Edward C. Welsh and Mary Doheny.
Bishop Welsh attended Saint Nicholas Grade School and Schwab High School, both in Weatherly. In 1937, he entered the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, to begin studies for the priesthood. The late Cardinal Dennis Dougherty ordained him a priest on May 30, 1946, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, and successively was sent to do graduate studies in canon law at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law.
He was then appointed as professor at the former Southeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia where he served for two years. He later served as an assistant pastor at a parish in Philadelphia
In 1958, Bishop Welsh was appointed member of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal and in 1963, vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese. Pope Paul VI named him a Monsignor in September of 1965, and in 1966, Cardinal John Joseph Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia appointed Welsh as rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. The Pope named him Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Inis Cathaig on April 2, 1970, from the named Cardinal Krol, assisted by Bishops Gerald Vincent McDevitt and John Joseph Graham.
In June of 1974, Bishop Welsh was appointed the Founding Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Arlington, Virginia and was formally installed on August 13, 1974. Bishop Welsh was named as Bishop of Allentown on February 3, 1983, when Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph Mark McShea, Founding bishop of the Allentown Diocese. He was installed as the Second Bishop of Allentown March 21, 1983, in the Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena.
Immediately after his installation Bishop Welsh gave indications that he wanted to be a pastor among his people. He held six regional celebrations throughout the Diocese to which he invited not only the faithful of the area, but also religious and civic leaders, to meet him. The Bishop in turn, participated in several businessman's luncheons, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs meetings, communion breakfasts, parish confirmations and Catholic high school commencements.
He established a Diocesan Stand Up For Life Campaign to encourage heightened pro-life efforts among the faithful of the Diocese. He held two one-day workshops on natural family planning and on the Papal encyclical "Humanae Vitae" for the priests of the diocese. The Bishop personally led a group of couples preparing for marriage through three sessions of the diocesan marriage preparation dialogues.
Bishop Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the Diocese and raised $13,000,000 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, Washington, D.C.
In December of 1997, Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop Welsh's resignation as Bishop of Allentown. After the installation of his successor in February of 1998, Bishop Welsh remained active, administering the sacrament of confirmation at churches around the diocese.
He died at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Thursday, February 19, 2009, aged 87, after a short illness. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia, presided his funeral Mass on Saturday, February 28.
Bishop Welsh attended Saint Nicholas Grade School and Schwab High School, both in Weatherly. In 1937, he entered the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, to begin studies for the priesthood. The late Cardinal Dennis Dougherty ordained him a priest on May 30, 1946, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, and successively was sent to do graduate studies in canon law at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law.
He was then appointed as professor at the former Southeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia where he served for two years. He later served as an assistant pastor at a parish in Philadelphia
In 1958, Bishop Welsh was appointed member of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal and in 1963, vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese. Pope Paul VI named him a Monsignor in September of 1965, and in 1966, Cardinal John Joseph Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia appointed Welsh as rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. The Pope named him Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Inis Cathaig on April 2, 1970, from the named Cardinal Krol, assisted by Bishops Gerald Vincent McDevitt and John Joseph Graham.
In June of 1974, Bishop Welsh was appointed the Founding Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Arlington, Virginia and was formally installed on August 13, 1974. Bishop Welsh was named as Bishop of Allentown on February 3, 1983, when Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph Mark McShea, Founding bishop of the Allentown Diocese. He was installed as the Second Bishop of Allentown March 21, 1983, in the Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena.
Immediately after his installation Bishop Welsh gave indications that he wanted to be a pastor among his people. He held six regional celebrations throughout the Diocese to which he invited not only the faithful of the area, but also religious and civic leaders, to meet him. The Bishop in turn, participated in several businessman's luncheons, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs meetings, communion breakfasts, parish confirmations and Catholic high school commencements.
He established a Diocesan Stand Up For Life Campaign to encourage heightened pro-life efforts among the faithful of the Diocese. He held two one-day workshops on natural family planning and on the Papal encyclical "Humanae Vitae" for the priests of the diocese. The Bishop personally led a group of couples preparing for marriage through three sessions of the diocesan marriage preparation dialogues.
Bishop Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the Diocese and raised $13,000,000 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, Washington, D.C.
In December of 1997, Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop Welsh's resignation as Bishop of Allentown. After the installation of his successor in February of 1998, Bishop Welsh remained active, administering the sacrament of confirmation at churches around the diocese.
He died at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Thursday, February 19, 2009, aged 87, after a short illness. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Philadelphia, presided his funeral Mass on Saturday, February 28.
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