Bishop Thomas Gumbleton

Background: Bishop Thomas Gumbleton is the pastor of St. Leo's parish in the inner city of Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained to the Priesthood on June 2nd 1956. In 1964 he graduated from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, Italy, as a Doctor of Canon Law. He was named Bishop on March 4th, 1968. As a member of the Bishops committee, he helped draft the significant pastoral letter called The Challenge of Peace in 1983.

Recognition: Bishop Gumbleton is the founding president of Pax Christi USA (1972-1991), former president of Bread for the World (1976-84) and co-founder of the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights (1980). He has been a board member of numerous organizations including the MK Gandhi institute of Non-violence, New Ways Ministry, Witness for Peace, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. He has received numerous awards for his actions on behalf of peace and justice including the Pax Christi USA Pope Paul VI Teacher of Peace Award (1991) and Call To Action's Leadership Award (1995). He was bestowed the University of Notre Dame Peacemaker award in 1991. In 1997 he was awarded the National Peace Foundation Award of Peacemaker/Peacebuilder in Washington, D.C.

Involvement: Over the years, his journeys of peace have brought him to Vietnam, Iran, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico City, Kazakhstan, Hiroshima, Jordan, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq (six times from 1990 to 2001), Peru, Colombia, and most recently, Afghanistan (June 2002).He of ten serves as expert witness, endorses significant causes, and participates in actions of civil disobedience, fasts, and prayer vigils.

Voice: Bishop Gumbleton is a noted speaker and writer. His columns appear regularly in the National Catholic Reporter. His weekly column, The Peace Pulpit, is featured on the website of the National Catholic Reporter. As a member of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, he encourages the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to keep justice and peace issues high on their list of priorities.



(created 17 September 2002)
source: flyer announcing an appearance by Bishop Gumbleton in Indianapolis on 1 October 2002