Thomas Williams (Archbishop of Wellington)

For other people named Thomas Williams, see Thomas Williams (disambiguation).
His Eminence
Thomas Stafford Williams
ONZ ChStJ
Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Wellington
Archdiocese Wellington
Appointed 30 October 1979
Installed 20 December 1979
Term ended 21 March 2005
Predecessor Reginald Delargey
Successor John Atcherley Dew
Other posts Cardinal-Priest of Gesù Divin Maestro alla Pineta Sacchetti
Orders
Ordination 20 December 1959
by Grégoire-Pierre Agagianian
Consecration 20 December 1979
by Owen Snedden
Created Cardinal 2 February 1983
by John Paul II
Rank Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born (1930-03-20) 20 March 1930
Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealander
Denomination Roman Catholic
Previous post Ordinary of the Military Ordinariate of New Zealand (1995-2005)
Motto Unity in Christ
Coat of arms

Thomas Stafford Williams ONZ ChStJ (born 20 March 1930) is a cardinal in the Catholic church and before his retirement in 2005 the fifth Archbishop of Wellington.

Early life and education

Williams was born in Wellington, New Zealand and educated at Holy Cross Primary School, Seatoun; SS Peter and Paul School, Lower Hutt; St. Patrick's College, Wellington; and St. Kevin's College, Oamaru. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Victoria University, Wellington, and worked for some years as an accountant. During his studies, he was deeply involved in the Catholic Youth Movement (YCW) and for a period worked full-time for the movement. In 1954 he commenced studies for the priesthood at the National Seminary, Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, Dunedin.

In 1956 he was sent to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, where he obtained a licentiate in theology and was ordained a priest on 20 December 1959. Later he received a social sciences degree from University College Dublin.

Priesthood

Returning to Wellington, he served as assistant pastor and as Director of Studies at the Catholic Enquiry Centre. He left that post when he volunteered to serve as a missionary in Samoa (today the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia), where he was parish priest for 5 years. He returned to New Zealand in 1963 and became parish priest at St. Patrick's in Palmerston North for two years. This was followed by four years as Director of the Catholic Enquiry Centre in Wellington. In 1971 he moved to Leulumoega, Samoa and returned to New Zealand in 1976 to the Holy Family Parish in Porirua East, one of the Archdiocese's most multi-cultural parishes.

Church leader

He became Archbishop of Wellington on 20 December 1979 – his 20th anniversary of priestly ordination – following the death of Reginald Cardinal Delargey. His principal consecrator was Owen Snedden, long-term Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington. Williams was created Cardinal-Priest of the titular church of Jesus the Divine Teacher at Pineta Sacchetti by Pope John Paul II on 2 February 1983.

Styles of
Thomas Stafford Williams
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal

He was additionally appointed Military Ordinary in 1995. He received New Zealand's highest honour, the Order of New Zealand in 2000.

Moral campaigns

He campaigned strongly against the passage of the law allowing civil unions in New Zealand saying it would turn New Zealand into a "moral wasteland" . He also campaigned against the expansion of casinos .

Conclave and retirement

Williams was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. He resigned as Archbishop of Wellingon on 21 March 2005 having reached the age of 75 years and was succeeded by the then Coadjutor Archbishop, John Atcherley Dew.

Sources

Selected works

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Reginald Delargey		 Archbishop of Wellington
1979–2005 		Succeeded by
John Atcherley Dew
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