Archbishop Appoints Two Vicars -- Revs. Thomas, Picton Tapped For High Posts

Catholic Archbishop Thomas Murphy has appointed the Revs. George Thomas and James Picton to top administrative posts as episcopal vicars.

The two will be able to fill in for and exercise the power of the archbishop in certain areas of church life, according to archdiocesan spokesman John McCoy.

They will in effect be performing many of the functions of an auxiliary bishop, spreading the workload for the archbishop, said McCoy.

Thomas has been serving as archdiocesan vicar general and chancellor. Picton is the North Seattle dean and pastor of St. John's Parish.

Murphy said Thomas would assume the additional responsibility of episcopal vicar for ministries, while Picton would become episcopal vicar for parishes and faith communities.

Thomas will assist Murphy in overseeing clergy and lay personnel and will continue in his other roles. As vicar general, he helps the archbishop govern the diocese and as chancellor he is the archbishop's chief secretary. He will become episcopal vicar for ministries July 1.

Picton will coordinate the activities of the archdiocese's deans, the priest leaders in the 10 regions of Western Washington. He also will be Murphy's representative to the archdiocese's racial and ethnic communities.

Picton will lead the archdiocese's efforts to develop new parishes and ensure there are priests or qualified lay people to serve existing parishes.

Picton is scheduled to leave St. John's when he takes up his new position Jan. 1.

Murphy also said the Revs. Michael McDermott, Jan Larson and Jeffrey Sarkies would be leaving the archdiocese's administrative headquarters to return to parish work.

McDermott presently is director of ministerial services; Larson is director of the office of worship; and Sarkies is director of priests' support.

Sister Joyce Cox, assistant to the archbishop for women religious, archdioscesan commissions and special projects, will take on additional duties providing support in the priests' personnel office, Murphy said.