Thomas Martin Aloysius Burke

Thomas Martin Aloysius Burke KGCHS (January 10, 1840 – January 20, 1915) was an Irish-born clergyman of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of Albany in New York State from 1894 until his death in 1915.

Biography

Early life Thomas Burke was born on January 10, 1840, in Swinford, County Mayo, the son of Dr. Ulrich Burke. His father moved the family to Utica, New York, in 1850. Thomas Burke received his early education from the Christian Brothers in Utica; he then attended St. Michael's College in Toronto, Ontario. In 1856, he entered St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland, where he befriended his classmate James Gibbons. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Burke as a curate at St. John's Parish in Albany, New York. In 1865, he was named pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in the same city. Burke established cordial relations with Protestant clergy throughout the diocese.