Thomas O'Shea (bishop)

Thomas O'Shea SM (13 March 1870 – 9 May 1954) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Metropolitan of New Zealand.

Biography

Thomas O'Shea was born in 1870 to Irish immigrant parents in San Francisco, California, was a prominent figure in the Catholic community in New Zealand during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He received his education in New Zealand, attending St Patrick's College, Wellington, and later became a teacher at the same institution. O'Shea was ordained as a member of the Society of Mary in 1893 and held various positions within the Wellington archdiocese. In 1913, he became the coadjutor archbishop, and then ultimately succeeding Archbishop Francis Redwood in 1935. He played a significant role in promoting Catholic education, social justice, and cooperation with other Christian denominations on public matters. O'Shea died in 1954 at Calvary Hospital, Wellington, after struggling with senility in his later years.

Honours

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.

References

• Ernest Richard Simmons, Brief history of the Catholic Church in New Zealand, Catholic Publications Centre, Auckland, 1978
• Michael O'Meeghan S.M., Steadfast in hope : the story of the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington 1850–2000, Dunmore press, Palmerston North, 2003.
• Nicholas Reid, James Michael Liston: A Life, Victoria University Press, Wellington, 2006.
• Archbishop Thomas O'Shea SM, Catholic Hierarchy website (retrieved 12 February 2011)
• https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3o7/oshea-thomas