Thomas Anthony Williams (born 10 February 1948) is an English

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

Roman 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 currently serves as Auxiliary Bishop of the

Archdiocese of Liverpool The Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool ( la, Archidioecesis Liverpolitana) is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church that covers the Isle of Man and part of North West England. The episcopal see is Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. The archdiocese ...

Early life and ministry

Born on Shrove Tuesday, 10 February 1948, in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, Tom Williams entered Junior Seminary to train for the priesthood at

Christleton Hall Christleton Hall is a former country house in the village of Christleton, Cheshire, England. It was built in about 1750 for Townsend Ince. The building was later used as a boarding school. In 1934 the Salvatorians purchased the hall from the ...

, Chester in 1961 before studying at the English College in Lisbon, Portugal, from September 1966 to 1971. He completed his studies at

St Joseph's College, Upholland St Joseph's College is a former Roman Catholic seminary and boarding school in Up Holland, Lancashire, England. The foundation of the original building was laid in April 1880 and the college opened in 1883. The buildings have since been deconsecr ...

. Williams 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 on 27 May 1972, at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, by Archbishop

George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck (28 May 1904 – 13 September 1978) was an English prelate who served in the Roman Catholic Church as Archbishop of Liverpool from 29 January 1964 to 7 February 1976. Beck was born in Streatham in south London. He was ...

. He served at several parishes, including: St Francis of Assisi, Garston; Sacred Heart, Liverpool (where he was also Chaplain to the

Royal Liverpool Hospital The Royal Liverpool University Hospital (RLUH) is a major teaching and research hospital located in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the largest and busiest hospital in Merseyside and Cheshire, and has the largest emergency department of i ...

); Our Lady of Walsingham, Netherton; Our Lady Immaculate, Liverpool and St Anthony's, Scotland Road, Liverpool.

Episcopal career

On 15 April 2003, Williams was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool and

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 Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Mageo'' by

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

on the following 27 May from Archbishop Patrick Kelly, with Bishops

Vincent Malone Vincent Malone (11 September 1931 – 18 May 2020) was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Life Malone was born in Liverpool, educated at St Francis Xavier's Coll ...

and

Augustine Harris Bishop Augustine Harris (27 October 1917 – 30 August 2007) was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Middlesbrough and former Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool. Thomas Augustine Harris was born in West Derby, a suburb of Liverpool, and was educated at St. Ce ...

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, ...

. On 27 May 2012 Bishop Williams celebrated the Ruby Jubilee of his ordination to the Priesthood. It also marked the ninth anniversary of his Episcopal Ordination as Bishop of Mageo and Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool in the same Cathedral by Archbishop

Patrick Kelly Patrick or Paddy Kelly may refer to: Politicians * Patrick Kelly (Irish politician) (1875–1934), Irish soldier, farmer and politician, Teachta Dála (TD) for Clare 1927–1932 * Patrick Kelly (Canadian politician) (1846–1916), Prince Edward I ...

on 27 May 2003. As Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool he also serves as Chair of the Healthcare Reference Group of the

Bishops' Conference of England and Wales The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Overview The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the permanent assembly of Catholic Church, ...

Honours

* He was awarded the

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

on 30 September 2021.

References

External links

Catholic-Hierarchy website: Bishop Thomas WilliamsArchdiocese of Liverpool Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Tom 1948 births Living people 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in England Roman Catholic bishops of Liverpool