Tony Flannery

Bishop Willie Walsh, or ‘Willie’ as we normally referred to him – he was the most unclerical of bishops – has died at the age of ninety, having lived a life in all its fullness. After his ordination in 1962 he studied Canon Law, something which hardly suited his flexible nature.  The study of Church law can often have a substantial effect on a person, making them legalistic and somewhat rigid.

(A colleague sent this on to me; it is encouraging to hear that there are voices like this in the U.S. Church)

Most Rev. Daniel Thomas

Diocese of Toledo

1933 Spielbusch Avenue

Toledo, OH 43604

February 7, 2025

Dear Bishop Thomas,

I write to you today, in one sense, because I know of no perfect place to present my concerns, and you are the chief shepherd of our Church in northwest Ohio, a fellow laborer in the Lord’s vineyard, and a man who engenders my respect and loyalty.