Background
Thomas Grace was born in Wexford, Ireland.
Thomas Grace was born in Wexford, Ireland.
He was educated at Street Peter"s College, Wexford and All Hallows Missionary College, Dublin.
Grace was ordained a priest on June 24, 1876 for the American missions. He was the pastor of several churches in Eureka, California, Carson City, Nevada and Marysville Mary of the Lake Church in Nevada on the Feast of the Assumption, 1881. On February 27, 1896, Pope Leo XIII appointed Grace Bishop of the Sacramento Diocese.
He was ordained on June 16, 1896 by Archbishop Patrick William Riordan.
He was the principal co-consecrator of Bishops Libert H. Boeynaems, Joseph Sarsfield Glass, his successor, Patrick Joseph James Keane and then-Bishop John Joseph Cantwell. Grace helped launch the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Herald, with a message endorsing its scope and usefulness to the diocese on March 14, 1908.
Grace died while in office. Grace Day Home in Sacramento served for 82 years and was named for him.
Bishop Grace is considered a bridge between modern California and its pioneer days.