New Toledo bishop to answer student questions at UT Nov. 20

Toledo’s new Bishop Daniel E. Thomas wants to talk to University of Toledo students — and he’s coming to UT on Nov. 20 to answer all their questions.

The event will be a town hall meeting with a question-and-answer-style format so students can lead the conversation and control the topics under discussion.

“Is there something you wondered about in the church or a church teaching that you are trying to understand?” asks Monsignor Michael Billian, Pastor of Corpus Christi University Parish. “Well, why not ask the bishop?”

Taking place in Snyder Memorial Room 2100 at 7 p.m., the free event is hosted by the Catholic Student Association (CSA) and is sure to bring in a crowd, according to CSA Religious Committee Co-chair Emily Held.

“This is a very unique event for all students because it is very rare to have the opportunity to meet a Catholic bishop in a Q&A event where we are the ones providing the questions for the bishop to answer,” Held said, a second-year majoring in exercise science. “This is a great chance to show Bishop Thomas the large amount of student involvement there is at the University of Toledo, as well as express to him the high levels of Catholic, Christian and overall religious presence there is at the University of Toledo.”

According to Held, the event is “designed to be very flexible in nature,” giving students an opportunity to bond with the bishop and ask meaningful questions about their futures.

“There are no set topics the bishop is to discuss, but popular topics are his plans for the Diocese of Toledo and ways students can get involved in the Catholic Church throughout their college careers,” Held said.

Kyle Blosser, a third-year civil engineering major and member of CSA, said he wants to attend so he can ask the bishop a few questions and hear his perspective.

“I would ask him what he sees for the future of our faith and the world as a whole, how he views our nation and its leadership as well as what I should be doing to keep with my faith and to not lose sight of God,” Blosser said. “Just talk about where I’m at in life and how I can grow.”

Held said UT will be the first university to meet with the new bishop, a privilege she thinks students should feel honored by.

“No other college student can say they were able to meet Bishop Thomas and ask him any question regarding their faith, the Diocese of Toledo or the Catholic Church like those at the University of Toledo can,” Held said. “This is a great opportunity to show our Catholic Rocket Pride and to promote our University of Toledo on a whole new level.”

Although most students don’t usually consider the idea of ever meeting the bishop in person or taking a photo with him, Held said she’s most excited for just that — seeing him interact with students in a more intimate setting.

“Typically, people think of bishops being in an office, in Rome with Pope Francis or saying the Mass at the cathedral,” Held said. “I think that this shows an entirely new side of the bishop role, and we are lucky enough to get to experience it firsthand.”

Because the event is open to people of all religious affiliations, Blosser said he thinks it’s important for busy students to take time out of their day to attend and possibly be exposed to ideologies other than their own.

“I think that non-Catholics would surely learn a lot and it would broaden their horizons and open their eyes to how Catholics see the world,” Blosser said. “After all, we are all children of God.”

Monsignor Billian, who knows the bishop personally and invited him to come to UT, agrees with Held, saying that this event is a great opportunity for students to have direct, personal contact with the bishop they may never have again. “Often times our leaders seem removed from our personal lives and I know that Bishop Thomas wants to make as many direct contacts with the people of the diocese as possible,” Monsignor Billian said.

The former bishop, Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, attended this type of meeting with UT students as well, according to Monsignor Billian. However, Monsignor Billian reminds students that every bishop’s individual talents are part of his service to the community, and each bishop is different.

“Bishop Thomas is an outgoing, passionate man whose caring spirit comes through his delivery of his message,” Monsignor Billian said. “He loves the Lord, loves the Church and clearly loves the people he has been called to serve in the Diocese of Toledo.”

Pope Francis named the Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas as the eighth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo on
Aug. 26 and he was formally installed as Bishop of Toledo at a mass on Oct. 22 at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Bishop Thomas had previously served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 2006.

For more information about the event, contact Held at [email protected].