Francis Thompson (bishop)

Francis Thompson (1829-1902) was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was ordained a priest in 1852. He served in various parishes within the Baltimore diocese before being appointed Bishop of Charleston in 1882. Thompson oversaw the recovery of the diocese following the American Civil War and Reconstruction, focusing on rebuilding churches, establishing schools, and expanding the Catholic population in the region. He served in this role until his death in 1902.