Bishops

Rt Rev. Tom Williams

A profile of the Right Reverend Tom Williams, Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool.

Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool

The Right Reverend Thomas Anthony Williams was Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool and Titular Bishop of Mageo (Mayo).

Born: 10 February 1948; Parents: Richard and Margaret Williams (deceased).

Education: 1952-1959 Ashfield Street Primary School, Liverpool; 1959-1961 St Sylvester’s Secondary School, Liverpool; 1961-1966 Junior Seminary, Christleton Hall, Chester; 1966-1971 English College, Lisbon (Philosophy and Theology); 1971-1972 completed studies at St Joseph’s College Upholland.

Ordained Deacon on 8 December 1971; ordained Priest on 27 May 1972 in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool. In 2001 he was elected to the Chapter of Canons of the Archdiocese. He was ordained Titular Bishop of Mageo and Auxiliary Bishop by Archbishop Patrick Kelly in Liverpool on 27 May 2003 in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. In December 2012 he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese and served in this post until May 2014.

Career: In 1972 he was appointed Curate to St Francis of Assisi Parish, Garston, Liverpool and Chaplain to Bellerive Grammar School (1973-1980). In January 1975 he was appointed as Curate to Sacred Heart Parish, Liverpool and Co-Chaplain to the Primary Schools and Liverpool Royal Infirmary (this was the beginning of nine years as Hospital Chaplain – four years at the “Old” Liverpool Royal Infirmary and five years at the “New” Royal Liverpool Hospital). In 1983 he was appointed to Our Lady of Walsingham Parish, Netherton, and also carried out supply work at St Jude’s, Wigan and Holy Spirit, Netherton. In 1984 he became Priest in Charge of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish, St Domingo Road, Liverpool. In 1989 he moved to St Anthony’s, Scotland Road as parish priest and in 1999 took on additional responsibility for Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish.

He continued as a member of the Archdiocesan Finance Advisory Committee from 1977 until 2013. He has been a member of the George Andrew Fund Committee for Sick and Retired Clergy from 1993 to date (Secretary and Treasurer of the Fund from 1993 to 2003). Member of the Liverpool City Centre Ecumenical Team 1996 to date. Member of the Archdiocesan Building Projects Committee from 1986 to 2003. He has served as Governor and Chair of Governors in Archdiocesan primary and secondary schools during the last 35 years.

During his time as parish priest of St Anthony’s, Scotland Road, he was a member of a local organisation (FLAME) in north Liverpool which sourced funding to train local teenagers to work in Lourdes with children and young people with disabilities, and also travelled with them to Lourdes each year. He is currently the Episcopal Liaison for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales with HCPT The Pilgrimage Trust.

In 1997 he became Chair of Project Jennifer – a local initiative formed by parishioners and others in the Scotland Road area as well as the City Council and businesses to re-generate the North end of Liverpool – this resulted in a £160M new-build housing and retail park which opened in 2017. As part of this development, he worked in partnership with John Hargreaves, NSPCC and Liverpool City Council in the construction of what became known as NSPCC and Childline’s “The Hargreaves Centre”, and in consequence he continues to MC the annual NSPCC Carol Concert in Liverpool.

Since 2003 he has been a member of the Bishops’ Conference Department of Christian Responsibility and Citizenship and was Chair of the Department’s Health and Social Care Advisory Group from 2003 until 2016. He is currently working with the Travelling Community, again as part of the Department of Christian Responsibility and Citizenship. He also Chairs the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s Healthcare Reference Group.

Currently involved with the Community Sponsorship Scheme : Syrian Resettlement Programme in the Archdiocese as a Trustee of the Archdiocese and CSAN – it’s a Caritas initiative.

In 1997 he became Chair of Project Jennifer – a local initiative formed by parishioners and others in the Scotland Road area to re-generate the north end of Liverpool – this resulted in new-build housing and a new retail park which opened in 2017. As part of this development, he worked in partnership with John Hargreaves, NSPCC and Liverpool City Council in the construction of what became known as NSPCC and Childline’s “The Hargreaves Centre”, and in consequence he continues to MC the annual NSPCC Carol Concert in Liverpool.

Since 2003 he has been a member of the Bishops’ Conference Department of Christian Responsibility and Citizenship and was Chair of the Department’s Health and Social Care Advisory Group from 2003 until 2016. He is currently working with the Travelling Community, again as part of the Department of Christian Responsibility and Citizenship. He also Chairs the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s Healthcare Reference Group.

On 30 September 2021, Bishop Tom Williams received the city’s highest civic honour – the Freedom of the City of Liverpool – during a special ceremony at Liverpool’s Town Hall.

On Saturday 25 March 2023, it was published by the Holy See that the Holy Father Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Tom Williams from the office of Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool upon reaching the age of 75 years. Bishop Williams will now be known as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus.

Link

For more, please visit the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s website.