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Thomas Christopher Collins was born in Guelph, Ontario on January 16, 1947. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Jerome's College of the University of Waterloo, Ontario, in 1968. He followed this with a Bachelor of Theology from St. Peter's Seminary in London, Ontario and a Master of Arts in English from the University of Western Ontario.

On May 5, 1973, Thomas Collins was ordained priest for the Diocese of Hamilton. He studied Scripture at the Biblical Institute in Rome and received a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1978. Also in 1978, he began teaching Scripture and became a spiritual director at St. Peter's Seminary. In 1986, Fr. Collins completed his Doctorate in Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome. He was rector of St. Peter's Seminary from 1995 to 1997.

On March 25, 1997, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of St. Paul and ordained Bishop on May 14, 1997. Bishop Collins was installed as Bishop of St. Paul on June 30, 1997. This was followed on February the 18th, 1999 by an appointment as Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton. On June 7, 1999 he succeeded Archbishop Joseph MacNeil as Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Edmonton where he successfully served for nearly eight years.

Following his installation in the Archdiocese of Edmonton, Archbishop Collins has served as president of the Alberta Conference of Catholic Bishops; as chairman of the Newman Theological College Board of Governors; as Chairman of the St. Joseph’s College Board of Governors; and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Caritas Health Group and the Alberta Catholic Health Corporation.

On the 16th of December, 2006, Archbishop Thomas Collins was appointed 10th Archbishop of Toronto by Pope Benedict XVI. He was installed on January 30, 2007 at St. Michael’s Cathedral.