Edward Thaddeus Lawton

Edward Thaddeus Lawton OP ( born October 12, 1913 in South Boston, † December 19, 1966 in Sokoto, Nigeria ) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church, Apostolic Prefect and Bishop of Sokoto.

Life

Lawton went to St. Francis de Sales School and the Boston College High school. The college he attended Boston College. On August 16, 1937 Lawton put his profession in the Order of the Dominicans and was ordained priest on June 6, 1943. He first came to teach at the Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, where he taught until 1951.

In 1951 he was sent on mission to Lagos in Nigeria. There he came on February 27, 1951, when the first of three missionaries to. On 15 January 1954 he was appointed Apostolic Prefect of the Apostolic Prefecture of Sokoto newly built and deployed on 13 November 1954. In 1964 Sokoto was raised to the bishopric and Lawton thus appointed the first bishop on June 16, 1964. His ordination to the bishop took place on August 15, 1964 by the Archbishop of Kaduna John MacCarthy. On December 19, 1966, he died at the age of 53 years. He was buried in Gusau near the Our ​​Lady of Fatima Church.

Trouble

Since the Apostolic Prefecture of Sokoto diocese and later was still in its infancy, Lawton had several difficulties, among other things, there was a lack of staff to care for the faithful at the beginning.

Simple Living

Lawton is said that despite episcopal dignity, was always looking for the simple life and his days as a simple monks designed.