Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted has been a supporter of CUF for many years. In 2004, he graciously accepted an invitation to join CUF’s episcopal advisory council. He has appeared in Lay Witness numerous times.

Bishop Olmsted was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1973, after graduating from St. Thomas Seminary College in Denver.

For sixteen years, he lived in Rome, Italy, where he earned a Master of Arts in Theology and a Doctorate in Canon Law. He also worked for more than nine years in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. During those years, Bishop Olmsted resided at the Pontifical North American College and assisted seminarians with spiritual direction. He speaks and writes Italian and Spanish.

Upon returning to the United States, Bishop Olmsted served as the Rector/President of the Pontifical College Josephinum, a Catholic seminary in Columbus, Ohio. In 1999, he was ordained as the Coadjutor Bishop of Wichita, Kansas. From 2001–03 he served as the Bishop of Wichita. He was installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix on December 20, 2003.

Since 1974, Bishop Olmsted has been a member of the Jesus Caritas fraternity of priests, and thus has been deeply influenced by the witness and wisdom of Charles de Foucauld and by the prayers and encouragement of many brother priests.

Bishop Olmsted currently serves on the USCCB Administrative Committee and the USCCB National Advisory Council, as well as serving as Chair of the USCCB Committee on Priestly Formation.

Visit the Diocese of Phoenix website at www.diocesephoenix.org.