Church Roman Catholic Church Predecessor John Joyce Russell Successor Francis X. DiLorenzo | Name Walter Sullivan See Richmond | |
In office July 19, 1974 — September 16, 2003 Died December 11, 2012, Richmond, Virginia, United States Education St. Mary's Seminary and University, St. Charles College, Maryland | ||
Walter Francis Sullivan (June 10, 1928 – December 11, 2012) was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.
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Bishop Sullivan served as the eleventh Bishop of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia from July 19, 1974, to September 16, 2003. He resided within Saint Paul's Parish in the City of Richmond and continued to be active in the diocese, assisting Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, until his death.
Early life
He was born on June 10, 1928, in Washington, D.C.
He received his seminary education at St. Charles College and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Richmond on May 9, 1953.
He served as associate pastor at St. Andrew's Parish in Roanoke and St. Mary's Parish in Fort Monroe (Hampton). In 1960, he received a degree in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and became Secretary of the Diocesan Tribunal in May of that year.
He was named chancellor of the diocese in February 1965 and rector of the cathedral in October 1967. He was consecrated an auxiliary bishop for the diocese on December 1, 1970 and was installed as the Bishop of the newly-redrawn Diocese of Richmond on July 19, 1974.
Bishop
He served on the boards of the Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy in Washington, DC; the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy; the Christian Children's Fund based in Richmond; the Catholic Committee of Appalachia; and numerous diocesan boards. He had been on the boards of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities and on the administrative board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He was a national leader of the religious community's involvement in the work of justice and peace. He served as Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, from 1991 to 2001. He also served on the writing committee for the 10th anniversary statement of the US Catholic Bishops' peace pastoral, "The Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace" (1993).
Coat of arms
His coat of arms of Bishop Sullivan contains the lions and the stag from the Sullivan coat of arms of Ireland, but it is differenced to make the coat of arms personal. The trefoil between the Sullivan lions is taken from the coat of arms of Bishop Russell, whom Bishop Sullivan assisted as auxiliary. The group of trees identifies the Vanderloo family of the Bishop's mother. The dexter implement contains the arms of the see.
Motto
"To Unite All in Christ". The motto is derived from the prayer of Jesus Christ for unity at the Last Supper: "That all may be one, even as thou, Father, in me and I in thee; that they may also be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:21).