Timothy C. Senior
Encyclopedia
Timothy Christian Senior (born March 22, 1960) is an American
Roman Catholic
prelate
. He is currently an Auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
.
, Pennsylvania
, to James Harwood (d. 1977) and Elise (née Rockwell) Senior. The youngest of three children, he has a brother, Jim, and a sister, Myra. He attended St. Rose of Lima School and graduated from Lansdale Catholic High School
(whose alma mater he created) in 1977. He then studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Overbrook, from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy
in 1981.
to the priesthood
by John Cardinal Krol on May 18, 1985, and then served as parochial vicar
at Assumption B.V.M. Parish in Feasterville until 1988. He also earned Master of Divinity
and Master of Arts
in pastoral theology
degrees from St. Charles Seminary in 1988.
Senior briefly taught religion
at Archbishop Kennedy High School
in Conshohocken
(1988–1989) before pursuing full-time graduate studies
at Boston College
, where he received a Master's in Social Work
and Master's in Business Administration
in 1992. During his studies, he was also Executive Assistant to the Secretary for Social Services in the Archdiocese of Boston
(1991–1992).
Upon returning to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
, Senior served as Deputy Secretary for Catholic Human Services from 1992 to 1997, whence he became Secretary. In this position, he oversaw the governance and operation of the network of Catholic health care
and social services
ministries sponsored by the Philadelphia Archdiocese, which includes 4,500 employees. He was raised to the rank of Chaplain to His Holiness
by Pope John Paul II
in 1998, and later Prelate of Honor
in 2005. In 2004, Senior was named Archdiocesan Vicar for Clergy by Justin Cardinal Rigali. In addition to his duties as Vicar for Clergy, he resided at and served as chaplain
at Divine Providence Village in Springfield
.
of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop
of Floriana by Pope Benedict XVI
. His appointment comes three weeks after Joseph R. Cistone
was named Bishop of Saginaw
, Michigan
. Senior received his episcopal
consecration
on July 31, 2009 from Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Michael Joseph Bransfield
and Daniel E. Thomas
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
. He is currently an Auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
.
Early life and education
Timothy Senior was born in North WalesNorth Wales, Pennsylvania
North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the North Penn Valley...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to James Harwood (d. 1977) and Elise (née Rockwell) Senior. The youngest of three children, he has a brother, Jim, and a sister, Myra. He attended St. Rose of Lima School and graduated from Lansdale Catholic High School
Lansdale Catholic High School
Lansdale Catholic High School is a secondary school that is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:...
(whose alma mater he created) in 1977. He then studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
in Overbrook, from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy is the title of an academic degree. The degree usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects...
in 1981.
Priesthood
Senior was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by John Cardinal Krol on May 18, 1985, and then served as parochial vicar
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Assumption B.V.M. Parish in Feasterville until 1988. He also earned Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in pastoral theology
Master of Theology
A Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
degrees from St. Charles Seminary in 1988.
Senior briefly taught religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
at Archbishop Kennedy High School
Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School
Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States, and was located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-Background:...
in Conshohocken
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial and...
(1988–1989) before pursuing full-time graduate studies
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, where he received a Master's in Social Work
Master of Social Work
The Master of Social Work is a master's degree in social workand especiality of sociology.- United States :In the United States, MSW degrees must be received from a graduate school that has been approved by the Council on Social Work Education...
and Master's in Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in 1992. During his studies, he was also Executive Assistant to the Secretary for Social Services in the Archdiocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
(1991–1992).
Upon returning to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
, Senior served as Deputy Secretary for Catholic Human Services from 1992 to 1997, whence he became Secretary. In this position, he oversaw the governance and operation of the network of Catholic health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
and social services
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
ministries sponsored by the Philadelphia Archdiocese, which includes 4,500 employees. He was raised to the rank of Chaplain to His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1998, and later Prelate of Honor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 2005. In 2004, Senior was named Archdiocesan Vicar for Clergy by Justin Cardinal Rigali. In addition to his duties as Vicar for Clergy, he resided at and served as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at Divine Providence Village in Springfield
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
.
Episcopal career
On June 8, 2009, Senior was appointed Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Floriana by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. His appointment comes three weeks after Joseph R. Cistone
Joseph R. Cistone
Joseph Robert Cistone is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Bishop of Saginaw.-Early life and education:...
was named Bishop of Saginaw
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is a Roman Catholic diocese covering eleven counties in Michigan. It was founded on February 26, 1938; the first bishop was William Francis Murphy....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Senior received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on July 31, 2009 from Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Michael Joseph Bransfield
Michael Joseph Bransfield
Michael Joseph Bransfield is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston.-Biography:...
and Daniel E. Thomas
Daniel E. Thomas
Daniel Edward Thomas, VG is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia.-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul.