George Leo Thomas

The Most Reverend George Leo Thomas
Bishop of Helena
File:Georgeleothomas.jpg
Province	Portland
Diocese	Helena
Term ended	incumbent
Predecessor	Robert Charles Morlino
Other posts	Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle (1999–2004)
Orders
Ordination	May 22, 1976
Personal details
Birth name	George Leo Thomas
Born	(1950-05-19) May 19, 1950 Anaconda, Montana
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Parents	George and Mary (née Cronin) Thomas
Occupation	prelate
Alma mater	St. Thomas Seminary
Coat of arms	George Leo Thomas's coat of arms

Styles of George Thomas
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Reference style	Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	not applicable

George Leo Thomas (born May 19, 1950) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Bishop of Helena since 2004.

Biography

George Thomas was born in Anaconda, Montana, as the second of the five children of George and Mary (née Cronin) Thomas. Raised in Butte, he graduated from Butte Central Catholic High School there in 1968, also when his family moved to Bellevue, Washington. Thomas studied at Carroll College in Helena, from where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in literature and philosophy in 1972; and St. Thomas Seminary in Bothell, earning his master's in Divinity. Ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen on May 22, 1976, he then served as associate pastor at a Kirkland parish and St. James Cathedral. He was also a parish administrator at Sacred Heart Church in Bellevue and Duvall.

Thomas did chaplain work for the King County Jail, Seattle City Jail, and Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Seattle, and also served as chairman of the Board of Directors for Catholic Community Services. After entering graduate school at the University of Washington, he received a master's degree in counseling and community mental health two years later in 1983. In 1986 he earned a doctorate in philosophy with specialization in Pacific Northwest mission history; his dissertation, "Catholics and the Missions of the Pacific Northwest, was given the Gordon C. Lee Award. Thomas became chancellor and vicar general of Seattle in 1987, and its Apostolic Administrator following the death of Archbishop Thomas Murphy in 1997.

On November 19, 1999, Thomas was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle and Titular Bishop of Vagrauta by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on January 28, 2000 from Archbishop Alexander Brunett, with Bishops William S. Skylstad and Carlos Sevilla, SJ, serving as co-consecrators.

Thomas was later named the tenth Bishop of Helena on March 23, 2004, being installed as such on June 4, 2004. As Bishop of Helena, he is also Chancellor of Carroll College and sits on its Board of Trustees. He currently serves on the boards of directors for the Foundation for the Diocese of Helena, Montana Catholic Conference, Catholic Social Services of Montana, Montana Association of Churches, and Catholic Relief Services, for which he serves as chair of the U.S. Operations Committee. Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas is a member of the Board of Bishops for the American College of Louvain and Ad hoc Committee for Native American Catholics.

External links

• Diocese of Helena

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Robert Charles Morlino	Bishop of Helena 2004–present	Incumbent