Miami Connection
As Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami since 2010, Wenski has profoundly shaped South Florida's Catholic community, reopening parishes closed during the 2009 financial crisis and spearheading a pastoral plan for growth. A vocal advocate for Haitian immigrants, he established the Pierre Toussaint Haitian Catholic Center in Miami for services like day-care, English classes, and job referrals, and launched the first Creole-language Catholic newspaper. His roots in Miami seminaries and early priesthood make him a 'native son' guiding the diverse, Hispanic-heavy faithful in the region.
About
Born on October 18, 1950, in West Palm Beach and raised in Lake Worth, Florida, Thomas Wenski attended St. John Vianney Minor Seminary in Miami and St. Vincent de Paul Major Seminary in Boynton Beach. Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Miami in 1976, he served in various roles including pastor and director of Catholic Charities. Appointed auxiliary bishop of Miami in 1997, he became coadjutor bishop of Orlando in 2003 and bishop there in 2004. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI named him the fourth Archbishop of Miami, where he was installed on June 1 and became the first native of the archdiocese to hold the position. He has chaired national Catholic committees on migration and international policy, founded Hispanic media outlets like El Clarín, and led a 2012-2013 synod resulting in a Strategic Pastoral Plan implemented from 2014. At age 75 in 2025, he submitted a required resignation letter but continues leading the archdiocese.