David Bernard Thompson (May 29, 1923 − November 24, 2013) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He served as Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina from 1990 to 1999.

Biography

Thompson was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. After studying at

St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania that is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the Philadelphia region, the school ...

in Wynnewood, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the priesthood for the Philadelphia archdiocese on May 27, 1950. He became a priest of the Allentown diocese (having been tapped for the post of chancellor) when it split from the Philadelphia archdiocese in 1961. His twin brother, Edward Thompson, had also been ordained a priest for the Philadelphia archdiocese. On April 22, 1989 Thompson was appointed

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

of Charleston,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 24 from Archbishop Pio Laghi, with Bishop Norbert Gaughan and Archbishop Eugene Marino, S.S.J., serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

. He assumed as his episcopal

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

: ''Christi Impetus Pacis'', meaning, "Working for the Peace of Christ." Thompson later succeeded

Ernest Leo Unterkoefler Ernest Leo Unterkoefler (August 17, 1917 – January 4, 1993) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Charleston in South Carolina from 1964 to 1990. He previously served as an auxiliary bish ...

as the eleventh Bishop of Charleston upon the latter's resignation on February 22, 1990. His tenure was marked by the

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, which lasted from 1992 to 1995; it was the first

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

synod held there since 1958. Thompson resigned from his post as

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on July 12, 1999, after nine years of service and surpassing the mandatory retirement age of 75. He died on November 24, 2013 at the age of 90.

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, David B. 1923 births 2013 deaths Clergy from Philadelphia St. Charles Borromeo Seminary alumni Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Charleston Religious leaders from Pennsylvania

Biography

See also

References

External links