Thomas Edward Gill

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Thomas Edward Gill
Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle Titular Bishop of Lambaesis
Archdiocese	Seattle
See	Lambaesis
Appointed	April 11, 1956
Installed	May 31, 1956
Term ended	November 11, 1973
Previous post(s)	Director of Catholic Charities
Orders
Ordination	June 10, 1933
Consecration	May 31, 1956 by Thomas Arthur Connolly Joseph Patrick Dougherty Hugh Aloysius Donohoe
Personal details
Born	(1908-03-18)March 18, 1908 Seattle, Washington, US
Died	November 11, 1973(1973-11-11) (aged 65) Washington, D.C., US
Buried	Holyrood Catholic Cemetery, Shoreline, Washington
Education	St. Joseph's Preparatory Seminary, St. Patrick's Seminary
Alma mater	Catholic University of America (M.S.W.)
Motto	Secundum verbum tuum (According to your word)

Thomas Edward Gill (March 18, 1908 – November 11, 1973) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as titular bishop of Lambaesis and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle from 1956 to 1973. He was the first Seattle-born priest to be ordained a bishop.

Biography

St. James Cathedral, Seattle, Washington.

Early life

Thomas Gill was born on March 18, 1908, in Seattle, Washington. He attended St. Joseph’s School, O'Dea High School and Seattle Preparatory School, all in Seattle. Having decided to become a priest, Gill then enrolled at St. Joseph's College in Mountainview, California. He completed his preparation for the priesthood in 1933.[1]

Priesthood

Gill was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Seattle on June 10, 1933 in San Francisco by Archbishop Edward Hanna.[2][3] After his 1933 ordination, the archdiocese assigned Gill to the pastoral staff at St. Patrick's Parish in Tacoma, Washington. A year later, he was transferred to St. Mary's Parish in Seattle.

In 1937, Gill traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the Catholic University of America, where he received a Master of Social Work degree. Returning to Seattle in 1939, he was named director of Catholic Charities of Seattle. It coordinated orphanages as well as homes for the elderly and troubled youths.[4] He once remarked"

“The supreme objective in this life is to offer youngsters the opportunity and the help to achieve the best possible adjustment to the real life… and that is the life that isn’t destined to end under a tombstone, but is life eternal.”[1]

Gill in 1955 was named pastor of St. James Cathedral in Seattle.

Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle

On April 11, 1956, Gill was appointed auxiliary bishop of Seattle and titular bishop of Lambaesis by Pope Pius XII. He was consecrated on May 31, 1956 at St. James Cathedral by Archbishop Thomas Connolly, with Bishops Joseph Dougherty and Hugh Donohoe acting as co-consecrators. [3]

As auxiliary bishop, Gill built Catholic Children's Services into the largest private child‐care agency in Washington state and served as the pastor of St. James Cathedral in Seattle.[5]

Death and legacy

Gill died of a heart attack on November 11, 1973, while checking into the Statler Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. for a meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.[3]

Notes

1. Laughlin, Corinna (August 12, 2007). "The Indefatigable Thomas Gill" (PDF). St. James Cathedral, Seattle. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
2. Smith, Lane (May 31, 1956). "Consecration of Bishop Gill is Attended by 2,000". Seattle Daily Times. Vol. 79, no. 152.
3. "Bishop Thomas Edward Gill [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
4. Abundance of Grace: The History of the Archdiocese of Seattle, 1850 to 2000 (1st ed.). Strasbourg, France: Éditions du Signe. p. 72.
5. "Bishop Gill of Seattle Dies; Developed Child Care Unit". The New York Times. 13 November 1973.