Francis Thomson (bishop)

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Francis Alexander Spalding Warden Thomson (15 May 1917 – 6 December 1987) was a Scottish Roman Catholic clergyman who served as the Bishop of Motherwell from 1964 to 1982.[1]

Biography

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 15 May 1917 and was educated at George Watson's College. He received a Master of Arts from University of Edinburgh (1938) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge (1940). He received a licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Angelicum in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood on 15 June 1946 for the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. He served as a curate at St Patrick's, Kilsyth (1946–48); St James', St Andrews (1949–52) and St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh (1952–53). He was a staff member at St Andrew's College, Drygrange (1953–60) and was rector of St Mary's College, Blairs (1960–64).[2] In 1961, he was named honorary canon of St Andrews and Edinburgh.[3]

He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Motherwell by the Holy See on 8 December 1964, and consecrated to the Episcopate on 24 February 1965. The principal consecrator was Archbishop James Donald Scanlan of Glasgow, and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop James Black of Paisley and Bishop Stephen McGill of Argyll and the Isles (later Bishop of Paisley).[1] He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.[1]

He resigned on 14 December 1982 and assumed the title Bishop Emeritus of Motherwell. He retired to Biggar as parish priest and died on 6 December 1987, aged 70.[1][2]

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References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4]"Bishop Francis Alexander Spalding Warden Thomson". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  2. 2.[2.2]Johnson, Christine (1991). Scottish Catholic Secular Clergy 1879-1989. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers Ltd. p. 64. ISBN 0 85976345 5.
  3. 3.The Catholic Directory for Scotland 1975. Glasgow: John S. Burns & Sons. 1975. p. 235.