Thomas Kiely Gorman

Thomas Kiely Gorman (August 30, 1892 – August 16, 1980) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Reno in 1931–1952, and the fourth Bishop of Dallas in 1954–1969.[1]

Biography

Thomas Kiely Gorman was born in Pasadena, California, to John Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (née Kiely) Gorman. He entered St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park in 1910, shortly before his father's death, and was transferred to St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1914. Gorman was ordained to the priesthood on June 23, 1917.

After studying at the Catholic University of America for a year, he returned to California and did pastoral work in the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles until 1922. Gorman graduated in 1925 from the University of Louvain, from where he obtained a doctorate in history. He was editor of the Tidings, a diocesan newspaper in Los Angeles, from 1926-31.

On April 24, 1931, Gorman was appointed the first Bishop of Reno [2]by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 22 from Archbishop John Cantwell, with Bishops John Mitty and Robert Armstrong serving as co-consecrators.

Gorman was later named Coadjutor Bishop of Dallas, Texas, and Titular Bishop of Rhasus on February 8, 1952. He succeeded Joseph Patrick Lynch as the fourth Bishop of Dallas upon the latter's death on August 29, 1954. John F. Kennedy, the first and only Roman Catholic to date to serve as President of the United States, was shot and killed in Dallas during Gorman's tenure. He attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962-65.

Despite his original support for their ecumenical work, Gorman relieved four Texan Paulist priests of their duties in 1967 for purportedly neglecting their responsibility of servicing the Newman Clubs at local colleges.[3] His decision met widespread opposition, but he refused to reverse it.[3]

Last years and death

On August 22, 1969, Pope Paul VI accepted his resigntion as Bishop of Dallas and Gorman was named Titular Bishop of Pinhel, later resigned that title on January 21, 1971. He continued to live in the episcopal residence in Dallas, where he remained until his death at age 88.

References

1. "Bishop Thomas Kiely Gorman". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
2. "The Cathedral Then and Now". High Desert Catholic. June 1, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
3. "A Punt on the Five-Yard Line". TIME Magazine. 1967-06-16.