Name Timothy Senior Posthumous style not applicable | Religious style Monsignor Spoken style Your Excellency | |
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Reference style The Most Reverend | ||
Timothy Christian Senior (born March 22, 1960) is an American Roman Catholic prelate. He is currently an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as well as rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
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Early life and education
Timothy Senior was born in North Wales, Pennsylvania, to James Harwood (d. 1977) and Elise (née Rothwell) Senior. The youngest of three children, he has a brother, Jim, and a sister, Myra. He attended St. Rose of Lima Elementary 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.
Ordination and ministry
Senior was ordained 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 degree in social work and master's degree 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).
On returning to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Senior worked as deputy secretary for Catholic Human Services from 1992 to 1997, when 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 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.
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
On June 8, 2009, Senior was appointed auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia and titular bishop of Floriana by Pope Benedict XVI. His appointment was made 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 as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul.