Bishop Daniel Edward Thomas

Bishop Daniel Edward Thomas, Bishop of Toledo, was born on June 11, 1959, in Manayunk, Philadelphia, in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. After his early studies in the Catholic schools of his city, he attended philosophy and theology courses at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook. He was ordained a priest for Philadelphia on May 18, 1985. He served as assistant parish priest of St. Joseph parish in Aston (1985-1987) and as regional co-director of the Catholic Youth Organization (1986-1987). He was then sent to Rome for theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a licentiate in theology in 1989. He worked at the Congregation for Bishops for fifteen years (1990-2005) and also served as spiritual director of the Pontifical North American College in Rome. From 2005 to 2006 he was parish priest of Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Strafford. On June 8, 2006, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Bardstown and Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia. He received episcopal ordination on July 26, 2006, with Justin Francis Rigali as principal consecrator and John Patrick Foley and Edwin Frederick O'Brien as co-consecrators. As Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia he had oversight of the archdiocesan offices for vocations and for the clergy and of the department for media affairs. On August 26, 2014, he was appointed Bishop of Toledo, and he was installed on October 22, 2014. On December 28, 2016, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Cleveland, ceasing to hold that office on September 5, 2017. Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops he has served as a member of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and of the Committee on Divine Worship. Besides English, he speaks Italian and Spanish.