Bishop Emeritus W. Thomas Larkin, who led the St. Petersburg diocese through a decade of explosive growth and was a friend of the late pope, died at his Clearwater home about 1:50 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 4, 2006) after a long battle with leukemia. He was 83.
He was born in Mt. Morris, New York to William Larkin and Julia Beuerlin Larkin. After completing high school, he enrolled in St. Andrew College Seminary in Rochester, New York to begin his studies for the priesthood. After graduating from St. Andrew's, the future bishop of St. Petersburg went on to study theology at St. Bernard Seminary also in Rochester.
Bishop Larkin, who was the seminary roommate of the late Pope John Paul II, was appointed by the pope as the second bishop of the burgeoning Diocese of St. Petersburg, serving from 1979 through 1988.
Bishop Larkin was a staunch advocate of closer ecumenical relationships with Greek Orthodox and various Protestant denominations, the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and the Jewish community. In the spring of 1988, he and the late Episcopal Bishop E. Paul Haines received an award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews for their ecumenical endeavors.
William Thomas Larkin grew up in Mount Morris, N.Y., outside Rochester, where his father published the Union, a weekly newspaper, by himself. His parents, William and Julia, attended Mass every day.
Bishop Larkin Catholic School opened its doors as West Pasco Catholic School in August of 1989 on the grounds of St. James the Apostle Parish in Port Richey. The name changed to Bishop Larkin Catholic School to honor Bishop Emeritus Thomas Larkin of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
He is survived by a sister Clarice Larkin of Pinellas County, Florida.
(Information from many Sources: St Petersburg Times and Catholic web site)
He was born in Mt. Morris, New York to William Larkin and Julia Beuerlin Larkin. After completing high school, he enrolled in St. Andrew College Seminary in Rochester, New York to begin his studies for the priesthood. After graduating from St. Andrew's, the future bishop of St. Petersburg went on to study theology at St. Bernard Seminary also in Rochester.
Bishop Larkin, who was the seminary roommate of the late Pope John Paul II, was appointed by the pope as the second bishop of the burgeoning Diocese of St. Petersburg, serving from 1979 through 1988.
Bishop Larkin was a staunch advocate of closer ecumenical relationships with Greek Orthodox and various Protestant denominations, the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and the Jewish community. In the spring of 1988, he and the late Episcopal Bishop E. Paul Haines received an award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews for their ecumenical endeavors.
William Thomas Larkin grew up in Mount Morris, N.Y., outside Rochester, where his father published the Union, a weekly newspaper, by himself. His parents, William and Julia, attended Mass every day.
Bishop Larkin Catholic School opened its doors as West Pasco Catholic School in August of 1989 on the grounds of St. James the Apostle Parish in Port Richey. The name changed to Bishop Larkin Catholic School to honor Bishop Emeritus Thomas Larkin of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
He is survived by a sister Clarice Larkin of Pinellas County, Florida.
(Information from many Sources: St Petersburg Times and Catholic web site)
Bishop Emeritus W. Thomas Larkin, who led the St. Petersburg diocese through a decade of explosive growth and was a friend of the late pope, died at his Clearwater home about 1:50 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 4, 2006) after a long battle with leukemia. He was 83.
He was born in Mt. Morris, New York to William Larkin and Julia Beuerlin Larkin. After completing high school, he enrolled in St. Andrew College Seminary in Rochester, New York to begin his studies for the priesthood. After graduating from St. Andrew's, the future bishop of St. Petersburg went on to study theology at St. Bernard Seminary also in Rochester.
Bishop Larkin, who was the seminary roommate of the late Pope John Paul II, was appointed by the pope as the second bishop of the burgeoning Diocese of St. Petersburg, serving from 1979 through 1988.
Bishop Larkin was a staunch advocate of closer ecumenical relationships with Greek Orthodox and various Protestant denominations, the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and the Jewish community. In the spring of 1988, he and the late Episcopal Bishop E. Paul Haines received an award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews for their ecumenical endeavors.
William Thomas Larkin grew up in Mount Morris, N.Y., outside Rochester, where his father published the Union, a weekly newspaper, by himself. His parents, William and Julia, attended Mass every day.
Bishop Larkin Catholic School opened its doors as West Pasco Catholic School in August of 1989 on the grounds of St. James the Apostle Parish in Port Richey. The name changed to Bishop Larkin Catholic School to honor Bishop Emeritus Thomas Larkin of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
He is survived by a sister Clarice Larkin of Pinellas County, Florida.
(Information from many Sources: St Petersburg Times and Catholic web site)
He was born in Mt. Morris, New York to William Larkin and Julia Beuerlin Larkin. After completing high school, he enrolled in St. Andrew College Seminary in Rochester, New York to begin his studies for the priesthood. After graduating from St. Andrew's, the future bishop of St. Petersburg went on to study theology at St. Bernard Seminary also in Rochester.
Bishop Larkin, who was the seminary roommate of the late Pope John Paul II, was appointed by the pope as the second bishop of the burgeoning Diocese of St. Petersburg, serving from 1979 through 1988.
Bishop Larkin was a staunch advocate of closer ecumenical relationships with Greek Orthodox and various Protestant denominations, the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and the Jewish community. In the spring of 1988, he and the late Episcopal Bishop E. Paul Haines received an award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews for their ecumenical endeavors.
William Thomas Larkin grew up in Mount Morris, N.Y., outside Rochester, where his father published the Union, a weekly newspaper, by himself. His parents, William and Julia, attended Mass every day.
Bishop Larkin Catholic School opened its doors as West Pasco Catholic School in August of 1989 on the grounds of St. James the Apostle Parish in Port Richey. The name changed to Bishop Larkin Catholic School to honor Bishop Emeritus Thomas Larkin of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
He is survived by a sister Clarice Larkin of Pinellas County, Florida.
(Information from many Sources: St Petersburg Times and Catholic web site)
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