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Bishop Thomas Paprocki - People of Faith
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki has spent a lifetime of service to the Catholic Church, culminating in his appointment in 2010 as the Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. Since his ordination in 1978, he has served in a variety of demanding positions, including as Vice-Chancellor and then Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Along the way he also earned a law degree from DePaul University in 1981, and in Canon Law from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome a decade later. Bishop Paprocki speaks several languages, including Polish, Spanish, and Latin.
Interview Links
Abstract
Interview Session 01 (Audio)
Family history in Poland and the U.S., and early life in Chicago
Interview Session 02 (Audio)
Catholic schools, ordination, law school and first parish
Interview Session 03 (Audio)
Overseas assignments, further education and years in Chicago
Interview Session 04 (Audio)
Installed as Bishop in Springfield in 2010, and experiences in Springfield
Photos
Caption
John and Veronica Paprocki holding Thomas John Paprocki, 19 days old, on August 24, 1952 at the Paprocki family home on Cermak Road in Chicago.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
August 24, 1952
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas Paprocki’s parents ran Paprocki Pharmacy at 3001 West Cermak Road in Chicago, where Thomas and his siblings sometimes worked. The Paprocki family lived in the apartment on the second floor above the pharmacy.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The Paprocki apartment building at 3001 W. Cermak Road in Chicago. The family pharmacy was on the first floor, and the family, consisting of the parents and nine children, lived in an eleven-room apartment above the store.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Tommy Paprocki was “playing mass” at age eight or nine along with his older brother Jim at the family’s Chicago home.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
A Chicago Tribune reporter caught ten-month-old Thomas napping at a baby alumni picnic for the Women’s Auxiliary of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital at Altenheim Park, Forest Park, Illinois in 1953.
Where:
Forest Park, Illinois
When:
1953
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Ramona, James and Thomas Paprocki were saying their prayers before going to bed in the family’s Chicago home on Cermak Road circa 1955.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
1955
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The Paprocki family in the late 1960s. 1st row-Joseph, Ronald, Veronica with Anne Marie and Allen on her lap, John and Leo. 2nd row-Edward, Thomas, John H., Ramona and James.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
Late 1960s
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Tommy was eleven or twelve when he was ‘playing mass’ with his brothers and neighborhood friends, circa 1964.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
Circa 1964
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas Paprocki’s grade school graduation photo. He was attending St. Casimir Grade School on Cermak Road and Albany Avenue in Chicago in June 1966.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
June 1966
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.
Caption
Thomas earned his high school degree from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, in Chicago in May 1970.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
May 1970
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The Paprocki family gathered for this photo in December 1971. Thomas is second from the left in the top row.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
December 1971
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas graduated from Niles College of Loyola University in May 1974. He’s pictured with his parents, John and Veronica Paprocki.
Where:
Loyola University
When:
May 1974
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas studied Spanish at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont during the summer of 1976.
Where:
Middlebury, Vermont
When:
1976
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas took his Clinical Pastoral Education at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas in late 1976. The photo was taken at the Jesuit College Preparatory High School in Dallas, where Thomas lived.
Where:
Dallas, Texas
When:
1976
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas helped out at the family’s Chicago business, Paprocki Pharmacy, during Christmas of 1976.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
1976
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paprocki’s first wedding as a Deacon was for his brother James and his wife Candace, at St. Casimir Church, Chicago on May 21, 1977.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
May 21, 1977
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paprocki’s first Blessing as a Priest was for his parents, John and Veronica, at the Mundelein Seminary May 10, 1978.
Where:
Mundelein, Illinois
When:
May 10, 1978
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Newly ordained Father Thomas Paprocki giving his first blessing to his parents, John and Veronica on May 10, 1978 at Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.
Where:
Mundelein, Illinois
When:
May 10, 1978
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The wedding of David and Catherine Bertz was held at St. James in Arlington Heights, Illinois on June 2, 1979.
Where:
Arlington Heights, Illinois
When:
June 2, 1979
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
This photo was taken when Father Paprocki wore glasses and had a mustache in September 1979. He served at St. Michael Church in Chicago at the time.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
September 1979
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Father Paprocki presided over the baptism of Efren Molina's niece in 1979. He served at St. Michael Church in Chicago at the time.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
1979
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Father Paprocki graduated from DePaul University College of Law on June 13, 1981. Present for the occasion were his parents, John and Veronica Paprocki.
Where:
DePaul University
When:
June 13, 1981
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Father Paprocki founded the South Chicago Legal Clinic with Ed Grossman and Sister Bernardine Karge in November 1981.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
November 1981
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Cardinal Joseph Bernadin, mother Veronica, his brother John H. Paprocki, Jr. and father Thomas Paprocki at the South Chicago Legal Clinic banquet at the Bismarck Hotel in May 1984.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
May 1984
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Bishop Paprocki’s parents John and Veronica Paprocki celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on September 11, 1988 by meeting Pope John Paul II at Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence outside of Rome, Italy, with Father Paprocki making the introduction.
Where:
Italy
When:
September 11, 1988
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Thomas defended his doctoral dissertation in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy on February 1, 1991.
Where:
Rome, Italy
When:
February 1, 1991
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas ran his first marathon, the Chicago Marathon in 1995, along with his youngest brother Allen, pictured at left.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
1995
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Father Paprocki baptized his nephew, Edward Ashe, Jr. on May 12, 1996.
Where:
Unknown
When:
May 12, 1996
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Pope John Paul II met with Bishop Paprocki and Cardinal Francis George at the Vatican in 1997. Pope John Paul appointed Paprocki as the Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in 2010.
Where:
Rome, Italy
When:
1997
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Thomas competed in the Boston Marathon in April 1998.
Where:
Boston
When:
April 1998
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Bishop Paprocki celebrated his first Mass as Bishop at St. Constance Church in Chicago in March 2003.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
March 2003
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Father Paprocki was touted as the “Holy Goalie” in the U.S.A. Hockey magazine in 2005.
Where:
Unknown
When:
2005
Ownership:
Dettman photo-May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Thomas got to practice his goalie skills with the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center in Chicago on January 12, 2006.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
January 12, 2006
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Thomas met with coach Tom Kleeman, formerly the wrestling coach at his alma mater, Quigley Preparatory School, in October 2014.
Where:
Chicago, Illinois
When:
October 2014.
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Bishop Paprocki with his interviewer, Ed Schoenbaum in 2018 in Springfield.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
2018
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo