PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Communications Office 1933 Spielbusch Avenue Toledo, Ohio 43604 toledodiocese.org Sally Oberski, Director of Communications 419-244-6711 ext 648 (o) 419-262-6711(c)
[email protected] POPE FRANCIS NAMES NEW DIOCESAN BISHOP FOR THE DIOCESE OF TOLEDO August 26, 2014 — The Holy Father, Pope Francis, today named the Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas as the eighth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo in America. Bishop Thomas has been serving as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since his Episcopal Ordination on July 26, 2006. He fills the office left vacant by the Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, who was installed as the Archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut in December 2013. Since that time the Toledo Diocese has been under the direction of the Reverend Charles Ritter, serving as Diocesan Administrator. Bishop Thomas will be installed as Bishop of Toledo at a Mass to be celebrated on October 22, 2014, 2 PM at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, 2535 Collingwood Boulevard, Toledo. Father Ritter welcomes Bishop Thomas to Toledo, “I and the entire diocese are delighted to welcome Bishop Thomas. We ask for God’s blessings for him and for the people of the -more- Diocese of Toledo Page Two Diocese of Toledo as he assumes the office of chief shepherd of this local church. We priests especially look forward to getting to know him and working with him as his collaborators in ministry throughout our diocese.” Bishop Thomas comes from an archdiocese with over 1.4 million Catholics, 219 parishes, and 143 Catholic schools.