Monsignor Thompson was born in Keighley and educated in the seminary at Angiers in France and at St. Joseph’s in Leeds.  Ordained in 1932 he served at the Cathedral before being made parish priest of St Francis in Holbeck in 1942.  He became Parish Priest of St. Austin’s in 1944, following the death of Fr. Harty, and served continuously until his retirement in 1986, making him the longest serving Parish Priest or rector in the history of the parish.  Over the many years spent in the parish Monsignor Thompson made many achievements but perhaps his greatest work was undertaken in the field of education.  From the late 1940s it was becoming increasingly clear that there was a need for a new school to replace that on Teall Street.  There was apparently considerable resistance to this among the authorities and it took a long time before the necessary permissions were granted and land purchased for the building of the new junior schools.

Another major achievement was the enormous influence he had on the building of St Thomas A’ Beckett Catholic Secondary School on Barnsley Road in the 1960’s.  Prior to this, pupils from Wakefield wishing to attend a Catholic Secondary school had to make the journey to St Michael’s College in Leeds.   Monsignor Thompson maintained his involvement in St Thomas a Beckett long after the building itself was open, serving as chairman of the board of Governors for 22 years.  In 1971 Monsignor Thompson was appointed “Protonotary Apostolic” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the church.  The title, awarded by Pope Paul VI, is remarkable particularly because it is an honour almost exclusively reserved for priests serving in Rome.  Monsignor made his well-earned retirement in 1986 and moved to a house in St. John’s Croft, not far from St Austin’s.  He died aged 86 in January 1991.  In January 1993, on the second anniversary of Mgr Thomson’s death, two stained glass windows depicting St. Augustine in Rome and in Canterbury were unveiled in the Lady Chapel.  The windows were commissioned as a memorial to Monsignor and were dedicated at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Paul Varey, his grand-nephew.

 
 

Last Updated 2 July 2006

Amendments to: dpfgilroy@hotmail.com