Thomas Joseph Murphy

Thomas Joseph Murphy (October 3, 1932 – June 26, 1997) was an American Catholic prelate who served as archbishop of Seattle in Washington State from 1991 until 1997. He previously served as bishop of Great Falls-Billings in Montana from 1978 to 1987 and as coadjutor archbishop of Seattle from 1987 to 1991.

Biography

Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 3, 1932, Thomas Murphy attended Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.

Bishop of Great Falls-Billings On July 5, 1978, Murphy was appointed bishop of Great Falls-Billings by Pope Paul VI; he was consecrated in Great Falls, Montana, by Archbishop Cornelius Power on August 21, 1978. In 1979, Murphy addressed the National Catholic Education Association on vocations to the priesthood and their on the importance for the local church. After protests from Hunthausen and other American prelates, John Paul II removed Wuerl and appointed Murphy as a coadjutor archbishop with less immediate authority.

In 1992, Murphy opened Elizabeth House in Seattle, which provided medical and job training for pregnant teens. For small Washington towns that were suffering from cutbacks in the timber industry, Murphy provided $500,000 to assisting starting small businesses. To help offset the declining numbers of priests, he provided financial support to a Seattle University program to train lay people in assist in some parish duties.

Death and legacy Murphy was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December 1996. He was undergoing chemotherapy when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Thomas Murphy died at Providence Medical Center in Seattle on June 26, 1997. He is interred in the episcopal crypt beneath the main altar of St. James Cathedral.

In 1999, Holy Cross High School in Everett, Washington was renamed Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy High School in his honor. In 2000, a new organ in the apse of St. James Cathedral was named the Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Millennium Organ. The "Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Memorial Parish Stewardship Award" is named in his honor.

In 2006, the archdiocese dedicated the Archbishop Murphy Courtyard on the south side of the cathedral. It contains a fountain and pool, a marker stone and a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus.