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 Quick Facts
 
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Born in Guelph, Ontario:
Jan. 16, 1947
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Ordination to the Diaconate:
May 14, 1972

•

Ordination to the Priesthood:
May 5, 1973

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Ordination to the Episcopate:
May 14, 1997
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Ordained to the Priesthood in Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton, Ontario, by Most Reverend Paul Reding
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Ordained to the Episcopate in Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton, Ontario, by Most Reverend Anthony Tonnos
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Bishop of Saint Paul, Alberta:
June 30, 1997
• Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta:
June 7, 1999
• Apostolic Administrator of Saint Paul, Alberta:
Mar. 26, 2001 – Nov. 9, 2001
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Appointed Archbishop of Toronto: December 16, 2006
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Installed as Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario, January 30, 2007.
 
 
 

 


 

His Grace, Archbishop Thomas Collins
Educational Background :: Previous Positions :: Coat of Arms :: podcasts

  • Dates Birth: Jan. 16, 1947
    Ordination to the Diaconate: May 14, 1972
    Ordination to the Priesthood: May 5, 1973
    Ordination to the Episcopate: May 14, 1997
  • Born in Guelph, Ontario.
  • Ordained to the Priesthood in Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton, Ontario, by Most Reverend Paul Reding.
  • Ordained to the Episcopate in Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton, Ontario, by Most Reverend Anthony Tonnos.
  • Installed as Bishop of Saint Paul, Alberta, June 30, 1997.
  • Installed as Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta, June 7, 1999.
  • Apostolic Administrator of Saint Paul, Alberta, March 26, 2001 – November 9, 2001.
  • Installed as Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario, January 30, 2007.

 


photos courtesy of the CCCB

Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, where his father was the circulation manager of the Guelph Mercury and his mother was a legal secretary. He is the only son and the youngest of three siblings. His childhood home was situated behind The Church of Our Lady, where he attended and served morning Mass.

Archbishop Collins considered being a teacher or a lawyer but was profoundly inspired by his Grade 11 English teacher, Father Newstead, at Bishop Macdonnell Catholic High School who knowing him suggested that he should consider the priesthood.  In 1969 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (English) from St. Jerome College in Waterloo.  In 1973 he obtained two degrees, a M.A. (English) from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Theology from St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario. That same year he was ordained to the priesthood on May 5, 1973 in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton, by Most Reverend Paul Reding.

While studying in Rome, specializing in sacred scripture and the Book of Revelations, he received his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Bible Institute in 1978 and a Doctorate in Theology from the Gregorian University in 1986.

After holding various academic appointments, in 1997 he was appointed as Bishop of Saint Paul, Alberta.  Two years later, he was named the Archbishop of Edmonton.  In 2001, while in Edmonton he was named Apostolic Administrator of Saint Paul and held these positions until he was appointed in 2007 as the Archbishop of Toronto.

In 2007 Archbishop Collins became a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Permanent Council, the Chancellor of the University of St. Michael’s College and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, in Toronto.  He is the Chair of the Board of Governors of St. Augustine’s Seminary, and the Chair of the Board of Directors of Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary, Catholic Charities and Catholic Cemeteries and is a Trustee of ShareLife’s Advisory Board.  In 2008, Archbishop Collins was elected President of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

  • Bachelor of Arts (English), St. Jerome’s College, Waterloo, Ontario
  • 1973 Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.), St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario
  • M.A. (English), University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
  • Licentiate in Sacred Scripture (S.S.L), Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome
  • Doctorate in Theology (S.T.D.), Gregorian University, Rome

Dissertation: Apocalypse 22:6-21 as the Focal Point of Moral Teaching and Exhortation in the Apocalypse, Director: Rev. Ugo Vanni, SJ.

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

  • 1973 Associate Pastor, Holy Rosary Parish, Burlington, Ontario.
  • Associate Pastor, Christ the King Cathedral, Hamilton, Ontario.
  • Teacher & Chaplain, Cathedral Boys’ High School, Hamilton, Ontario.
  • 1978 Lecturer, Department of English, King’s College, University of Western Ontario.
  • 1978 Lecturer in Scripture, St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario.
  • 1981 Group Leader & Spiritual Director, St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario.
  • 1985 Associate Professor of Scripture, St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario.
  • 1989 Associate Editor, Discover the Bible.
  • 1992 Dean of Theology, St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario.
  • Vice-Rector, St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario.
  • 1995 Rector of. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario.
  • 1997-99 Bishop of St. Paul, Alberta.
  • 1997 Member of the National Commission of Theology, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).
  • 1999-01 Chairman of the National Commission of Theology, CCCB.
  • 1999-03 Member of CCCB Permanent Council.
  • 2000-02 Member of the Organizing Committee of WYD 2002 in Toronto, Canada.
  • 2001-03 Chairman of the National Commission on Christian Unity, CCCB.
  • 1999-07 President, Alberta Conference of Catholic Bishops.
  • 1999-07 Chairman, Newman Theological College Board of Governors, Edmonton.
  • 1999-07 Chairman, St. Joseph’s College Board of Governors, University of Alberta, Edm.
  • 1999-07 Member of Board of Directors, Caritas Health Group, Edmonton.
  • 1999-07 Member of Board of Directors, Alberta Catholic Health Corporation.

    Author of numerous publications, pastoral letters and reflections.

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EXPLANATION OF THE COAT OF ARMS FOR
ARCHBISHOP THOMAS COLLINS

The motto "Deum Adora" (Worship God) is taken from the Book of Revelation 22:9. When St. John seeks to worship the angel who has shown him the great visions of the book, the angel rebukes him: "Worship God." It is God who claims our adoration and loyalty, in worship and in action. St. Thomas More expressed this when in his last words before martyrdom he said: "I die the king’s good servant, but God’s first." Our priorities in life must be clear and determined by our adoration of the Lord.

The shield with a gold cross on a red background is based on that of St. Peter's Seminary. The Alpha and Omega recall the Book of Revelation 22:13, where Jesus says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." The open Bible and the chalice represent the two great ways in which we experience Jesus in the Church, in Word and Sacrament.

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