Thomas Joseph Murphy

[2][3] On July 5, 1978, Murphy was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings by Pope Paul VI; he was consecrated by Archbishop Cornelius Power on August 21, 1978.

Murphy's appointment came after a series of controversies surrounding Hunthausen, first prompted by an apostolic visitation to the archdiocese ordered by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

On December 3, 1985, the pope appointed Reverend Donald Wuerl as auxiliary bishop of Seattle, with authority to overrule Hunthausen in several important areas.

[6] After protests from Hunthausen and other American prelates, Pope John Paul II removed Wuerl and appointed Murphy as a coadjutor archbishop with less immediate authority.

To help offset the declining numbers of priests, he provided financial support to a Seattle University program to train lay people in assist in some parish duties.