Walter Francis Sullivan

The Most Reverend Walter Francis Sullivan
Bishop of Richmond
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Richmond
In office	July 19, 1974 — September 16, 2003
Predecessor	John Joyce Russell
Successor	Francis X. DiLorenzo
Personal details
Born	June 10, 1928 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	Richmond, VA, U.S.

Walter Francis Sullivan (June 10, 1928 – December 11, 2012) was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

Bishop Sullivan served as the eleventh Bishop of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia from July 19, 1974, to September 16, 2003. He resided within Saint Paul's Parish in the City of Richmond and continued to be active in the diocese, assisting Bishop DiLorenzo as the Bishop Emeritus until his death.

Curriculum Vitae

The Most Rev. Walter F. Sullivan served as the eleventh bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Bishop Sullivan was born on June 10, 1928, in Washington, D.C.

He received his seminary education at St. Charles College and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Richmond on May 9, 1953.

He served as associate pastor at St. Andrew's Parish in Roanoke and St. Mary's Parish in Fort Monroe (Hampton). In 1960, he received a degree in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and became Secretary of the Diocesan Tribunal in May of that year.

The then Father Sullivan was named Chancellor of the diocese in February, 1965, and rector of the Cathedral in October 1967. He was consecrated an auxiliary bishop for the diocese on December 1, 1970, and was installed as the Bishop of the newly redrawn Diocese of Richmond on July 19, 1974.

Bishop Sullivan served on the boards of the Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy in Washington, D.C.; the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy; the Christian Children's Fund based in Richmond; the Catholic Committee of Appalachia; and numerous diocesan boards. He had been on the boards of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities and on the administrative board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Sullivan was a national leader of the religious community's involvement in the work of justice and peace. He served as Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, from 1991 until 2001. He also served on the writing committee for the 10th anniversary statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' peace pastoral, "The Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace" (1993).

Bishop Sullivan's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Bishop Sullivan contains the lions and the stag from the Sullivan coat of arms of Ireland, but is differenced to make the coat of arms personal. The trefoil between the Sullivan lions is taken from the coat of arms of Bishop Russell, whom Bishop Sullivan assisted as auxiliary. The group of trees identifies the Vanderloo family of the Bishop's mother. The dexter implement contains the arms of the see.

Motto

"To Unite All in Christ". The motto is derived from the prayer of Jesus Christ for unity at the Last Supper: "That all may be one, even as thou, Father, in me and I in thee; that they may also be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:21).

References

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by John Joyce Russell	Bishop of the Diocese of Richmond 1974–2003	Succeeded by Francis X. DiLorenzo
Preceded by Thomas Gumbleton	Bishop president of Pax Christi USA 1991–2001	Succeeded by Gabino Zavala