Alfred Tooming

Tooming was born on 5 July 1907 on Idu farm in Ülejõe, Anija Parish, Governorate of Estonia in the Russian Empire, the son of Tõnu Tooming and Miina Roop. He studied at Kehra Municipal School between 1916 and 1919 and in 1927 graduated from the Jakob Westholm Gymnasium. From 1927 to 1932 he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Tartu. He was ordained priest in St. Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn on 2 September 1934.

In 1934 he served as vicar of the St. James' Church in Võnnu and then deputy vicar of the parish in Käina. In 1935 he became vicar of the Church of St. John the Baptist, also known as Harju-Jaani church in Raasiku. Between 1941 and 1945 he was mobilised by the Red Army. he returned to his post in Raasiku in 1945. Between 1946 and 1959 he served in Jõelähtme's Church while in 1949 he transferred to Viljandi to become vicar of St. Paul's Church and Provost of the Viljandi deanery.[1]

On 12 October 1967, after the resignation of Jaan Kiivit Sr., he was elected Archbishop of the Estonian church, and was consecrated on 9 June 1968 in St. Mary's Cathedral. He was consecrated by Martti Simojoki, Archbishop of Turku and Finland and co-consecrated by Aarre Lauha, Bishop of Helsinki.[2]

On 25 May 1935, Tooming married Senta Kikerpill and together had four children, of whom their daughter, Maare Kümnik (1936–2015), was a notable Estonian bibliographer. Tooming's grandson is Ants Tooming, who since 2015 has been Provost of Tartu.