thomas cooke middleton (march 30, 1842 – november 19, 1923) was born into a quaker family on march 30, 1842 in chestnut hill, pennsylvania. at the age of twelve, he was baptized into the roman catholic faith with his mother and five sisters. he became a novice in the order of st. augustine in tolentine, italy in 1858 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1864.