Early life Thomas Burke was born on January 10, 1840, in
Swinford,
County Mayo, the son of Dr. Ulrich Burke. His father moved the family to Utica, New York, in 1850. Thomas Burke received his early education from the
Christian Brothers in Utica; he then attended
St. Michael's College in
Toronto, Ontario. In 1856, he entered
St. Charles College in
Ellicott City,
Maryland, where he befriended his classmate
James Gibbons. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Burke as a
curate at St. John's Parish in
Albany, New York. In 1865, he was named
pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in the same city. Burke established cordial relations with Protestant clergy throughout the diocese. ==References==