Background
Welch, Thomas Anthony was born on November 2, 1884 in Faribault, Minnesota, United States. Son of Thomas Joseph and Helen (Deasy) Welch.
Welch, Thomas Anthony was born on November 2, 1884 in Faribault, Minnesota, United States. Son of Thomas Joseph and Helen (Deasy) Welch.
Graduated from Saint Thomas College, Saint Paul, Minnesota Studied philosophy and theology at Saint Paul Seminary
He served as Bishop of Duluth from 1926 until his death in 1959. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1909. Welch served as secretary to Archbishop John Ireland (1909-1918) and to his successor, Archbishop Austin Dowling (1919-1922).
He also served as chancellor (1918-1923) and vicar general of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
He became a domestic prelate in February 1924. On December 17, 1925, Welch was appointed the third Bishop of Duluth by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on February 3, 1926 from Archbishop Dowling, with Bishops James O"Reilly and Joseph Francis Busch serving as co-consecrators.
During his 33-year tenure, he remedied the financial crisis in the diocese and also constructed the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary. Welch died at age 74.