SCRANTON, Pa. — The Most Reverend John M. Dougherty, D.D., died Saturday at his family's home in Scranton. He was 89 years old and was the Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Scranton.
Dougherty was ordained as a priest in 1957. He was installed as the sixth auxiliary bishop of Scranton in 1995 and served until 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation two years after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
Bishop Dougherty began his service in Tobyhanna, where he spent seven years as assistant pastor of Saint Ann Parish.
He also served as pastor of Saint Patrick Parish in Scranton. The parish community included the churches of Saint Patrick, Holy Cross, Saint John the Baptist and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
According to a news release from the Diocese of Scranton, Bishop Dougherty continued his service to the Diocese as a member of the Council of Priests and Board of Consultors between 2005 and 2010. After retirement, as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus, Bishop Dougherty served in residence at Christ the King Parish in Archbald prior to Bishop Joseph Bambera appointing him to serve as Administrator, pro tem, at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Jermyn in June 2019.
In a written statement, Bishop Bambera noted that, "(Bishop Dougherty's) greatest legacy to the local Church, however, won't be as a leader in the spotlight but as a pastor - a servant in the shadows - visiting hospitals in the middle of the night, feeding the poor, sharing the sacraments and offering hope to broken souls who looked to him for help."
Funeral arrangements for Bishop Dougherty are still being finalized.
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