Thomas Daily was born in Belmont, Massachusetts to John F. and Mary McBride (née Vose) Daily, on September 23, 1927. He attended at Boston College and later St. John's Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts.
Priesthood
Daily was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston on January 10, 1952, by Cardinal Richard Cushing at Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Following ordination, he was assigned as curate for St. Ann's Parish in Quincy, Massachusetts. He remained in that post through the rest of that decade.[1] In 1960, Daily joined the Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle and moved to the Limatambo area of Cusco, Peru. He spent five years as a missionary in Peru.[citation needed]
After returning to Boston, Daily was assigned again to St. Ann's, where he served as assistant pastor until 1971. He was appointed to the position of secretary to Cardinal Humberto Medeiros and later vicar for temporalities.
Auxiliary Bishop of Boston
On December 28, 1974, Pope Paul VI appointed Daily as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. He was consecrated on February 11, 1975, by Cardinal Medeiros.[2] In 1976, Daily was appointed vicar general of the archdiocese.[1] Because of his fluency in Spanish, he was given special duties regarding the Spanish-speaking members of the archdiocese.
Bishop of Palm Beach
On July 17, 1984, Daily was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Palm Beach. Among his most noteworthy actions were his leading of anti-abortion prayer vigils at local women's health clinics. From 1987 to 2005, Daily also served as the supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.
Bishop of Brooklyn
On February 20, 1990, John Paul II appointed Daily as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, succeeding Bishop Francis J. Mugavero. Daily was installed on April 18, 1990. Shortly after his installation, he responded to a reporter's question by stating that the then-Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, would not be welcomed as a speaker in the diocese's parishes because of Cuomo's pro-choice position on abortion rights for women.[3]
Sex abuse scandal
In 2002, Daily was criticized for his past involvement in cases of priests accused of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston.[4][5] He has acknowledged his "profound regret" over some of his decisions in the Boston Archdiocese.[5]
Retirement and legacy
On August 1, 2003, Daily announced his resignation as a bishop[6][7] had finally been accepted by the Vatican, ten months after he had submitted a letter of resignation upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Daily served as a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and as a board member of the Society of St. James the Apostle in Boston and the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities in Washington, D.C.[1]
Thomas Daily died on May 15, 2017, at the Bishop Mugavero Residence in Douglaston, Queens in New York City He was 89.[8][9]
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