Charles C. Thompson

History
Ordination history of; Charles C. Thompson
Consecrated by
History
Episcopal consecration
Consecrated by	Joseph Edward Kurtz
Date	June 29, 2011
Robert John McClory
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Charles C. Thompson as principal consecrator
Robert John McClory	February 11, 2020

Styles of
**Charles Coleman Thompson**
Styles of; Charles Coleman Thompson
Reference style	His Excellency ; The Most Reverend ;
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Charles Coleman Thompson
His Excellency, The Most Reverend ; Charles Coleman Thompson
Archbishop of Indianapolis
See	Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Appointed	June 13, 2017
Installed	July 28, 2017
Predecessor	Joseph W. Tobin
Orders
Ordination	May 30, 1987; by Thomas C. Kelly
Consecration	June 29, 2011; by Joseph Edward Kurtz, Daniel M. Buechlein, Thomas C. Kelly, and Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger
Personal details
Born	April 11, 1961 (age 62); Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Denomination	Catholic Church
Previous post(s)	Diocese of Evansville ; 2011 - 2017
Education	Bellarmine University ; Saint Meinrad School of Theology ; St. Paul University
Motto	Christ the Cornerstone

Last updated September 19, 2023

Charles Coleman Thompson (born April 11, 1961) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Indiana since 2017. He previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Evansville in Indiana from 2011 to 2017.

Career

Early life

Charles Thompson was born on April 11, 1961, in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Bellarmine College in Louisville graduating with a Bachelor of Accounting degree. Thompson earned a Master of Divinity degree at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana and a Licentiate of Canon Law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario.

Priesthood

On May 30, 1987, Thompson was ordained into the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Louisville by Archbishop Thomas Kelly.^[1] After his ordination, Thompson served until 1990 as associate pastor at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral Parish and as chaplain at Bethlehem High School, both in Bardstown, Kentucky. In 1992, he resumed work part-time as an associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Louisville. In 1993, Thompson was named metropolitan vicar and director of tribunals for the diocese. He administered St. Peter Claver Parish in Louisville from 1994 to 1996 and also served as a chaplain for the Presentation Academy in Louisville from 1995 to 1997.

In 1996, Thompson was assigned as pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Lebanon, Kentucky. He was named defender of the bond and judge of the Diocesan Tribunal in 1998. Thompson was appointed pastor in 2002 of Holy Trinity Parish and chaplain of Sacred Heart Academy, both in Louisville. In addition to his pastoral work at Holy Trinity, Thompson was appointed vicar general in 2008.^[2]

Bishop of Evansville

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Thompson as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Evansville on April 26, 2011.^[2] He was consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz on June 29, 2011, at Roberts Municipal Stadium in Evansville.^[3] The co-consecrators were Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, and Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger.^[1]

Archbishop of Indianapolis

Pope Francis appointed Thompson as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on June 13, 2017.^[4] He was installed on July 28, 2017.^[5] Thompson was the youngest American archbishop at the time of his installation.^[6]

Soon after his installation, Thompson ordered three Catholic high schools in Indianapolis to terminate three employees who had entered into same-sex marriages:

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School refused to fire Layton Payne-Elliot, a male teacher who married Joshua Payne-Elliot in 2017. After a period of fruitless negotiations, Thompson suspended the Catholic status of Brebeuf in June 2019. The Jesuits appealed his decision to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome, which temporarily rescinded Thompson's order.^[7] In 2020, the Holy See assigned Cardinal Joseph Tobin to mediate the dispute.^[7]
Roncalli High School fired two guidance counselors, Shelly Fitzgerald and Lynn Starkey, both of whom had married other women. Fitzgerald and Starkey sued the archdiocese and Thompson in separate cases, alleging discrimination and retaliation.^[8] On August 11, 2021, the US Southern District of Indiana dismissed the Starkey lawsuit.^[9]
Cathedral High School fired Joshua Payne-Elliot, a teacher who married Layton Payne-Elliot in 2017. In a statement, Cathedral said that defying the archbishop could have meant losing its non-profit tax status.^[10]^[11] Payne -Elliot sued the archdiocese, but the case was dismissed in Marion County Superior Court on May 20, 2021.^[12]

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References

1 2 "Archbishop Charles Coleman Thompson [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
1 2 "Pope names Louisville, Kentucky vicar general to succeed Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger of Evansville, Indiana". The Message Online. April 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
↑ Corrigan, Sara Anne. "Catholic Church turns to tradition in installation of new bishop". Evansville Courier & Press (June 28, 2011). Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
↑ "Pope names Thompson Indianapolis archbishop". Star Tribune. Associated Press. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
↑ "Archbishop of Indianapolis Charles C. Thompson is installed". IndyStar. July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
↑ King, Robert; Ryckaert, Vic (June 13, 2017). "Evansville bishop ready for 'daunting task' of following Tobin as Indy's archbishop". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
1 2 Herron, Arika. "Vatican temporarily suspends Indianapolis archbishop's decision on Brebeuf Jesuit". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
↑ Herron, Arika. "Shelly Fitzgerald, first gay guidance counselor suspended by Roncalli, files federal suit". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
↑ CNA. "Federal court dismisses lawsuit against archdiocese". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
↑ "Cathedral High School terminates gay teacher to stay in Indianapolis Archdiocese".
↑ "To save its 'Catholic identity,' Indianapolis' Cathedral High School is firing a gay teacher". USA Today .
↑ Weddle, Eric (May 20, 2021). "Former Cathedral High School Teacher Appeals Dismissed Lawsuit Against Indianapolis Archdiocese". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved January 10, 2022.

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis Official Site

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Joseph W. Tobin	Archbishop of Indianapolis 2017–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger	Bishop of Evansville 2011–2017	Succeeded by Joseph M. Siegel

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[:0-1] 1 2 "Archbishop Charles Coleman Thompson [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved January 10, 2022.

[message-2] 1 2 "Pope names Louisville, Kentucky vicar general to succeed Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger of Evansville, Indiana". The Message Online. April 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[courierpress-3] Corrigan, Sara Anne. "Catholic Church turns to tradition in installation of new bishop". Evansville Courier & Press (June 28, 2011). Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.

[4] "Pope names Thompson Indianapolis archbishop". Star Tribune. Associated Press. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.

[5] "Archbishop of Indianapolis Charles C. Thompson is installed". IndyStar. July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

[6] King, Robert; Ryckaert, Vic (June 13, 2017). "Evansville bishop ready for 'daunting task' of following Tobin as Indy's archbishop". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 23, 2017.

[:1-7] 1 2 Herron, Arika. "Vatican temporarily suspends Indianapolis archbishop's decision on Brebeuf Jesuit". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 12, 2020.

[8] Herron, Arika. "Shelly Fitzgerald, first gay guidance counselor suspended by Roncalli, files federal suit". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 12, 2020.

[9] CNA. "Federal court dismisses lawsuit against archdiocese". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved January 10, 2022.

[10] "Cathedral High School terminates gay teacher to stay in Indianapolis Archdiocese".

[11] "To save its 'Catholic identity,' Indianapolis' Cathedral High School is firing a gay teacher". USA Today .

[12] Weddle, Eric (May 20, 2021). "Former Cathedral High School Teacher Appeals Dismissed Lawsuit Against Indianapolis Archdiocese". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved January 10, 2022.

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v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Ordinaries	Bishops of Vincennes Simon Bruté Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière John Stephen Bazin Jacques-Maurice De Saint Palais Bishops of Indianapolis Silas Chatard Joseph Chartrand Archbishops of Indianapolis Joseph Ritter Paul Clarence Schulte George Biskup Edward Thomas O'Meara Daniel M. Buechlein Joseph W. Tobin Charles Coleman Thompson
Auxiliary bishops	Denis O'Donaghue Christopher J. Coyne
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis Cathedral Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral Parishes St. John the Evangelist Church, Indianapolis St. Mary's Church, Indianapolis Shrine Church of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Abbey St. Meinrad Archabbey Chapel Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Education	Higher education Marian University Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Seminaries Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology High schools Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard High School, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter High School, Indianapolis Cathedral High School, Indianapolis Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception, Oldenburg Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School, Clarksville Providence Cristo Rey High School, Indianapolis Roncalli High School, Indianapolis Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, Indianapolis Seton Catholic High School, Richmond Father Michael Shawe Memorial High School, Madison
Priests	Herman Joseph Alerding John Paul Elford Paul D. Etienne Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina Alphonse John Smith
Catholicismportal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville
Bishops	Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann Paul Francis Leibold Francis Raymond Shea Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger Charles C. Thompson Joseph M. Siegel
Churches	Cathedral St. Benedict Cathedral Parishes St. Joseph's Church, Jasper Basilica of St Francis Xavier, Vincennes
Education	High schools Mater Dei High School, Evansville Reitz Memorial High School, Evansville Rivet Middle/High School, Vincennes Washington Catholic Middle/High School, Washington
Catholicismportal