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'Authentic and real' - Clergy, parishioners remember Bishop Dougherty

Hundreds gather to honor the life of Bishop John Dougherty

SCRANTON, Pa. — Bishops from across Pennsylvania and New York, along with dozens of priests and Catholics of all kinds, filled St. Peter's Cathedral in downtown Scranton for the funeral of a former auxiliary bishop.

It was precisely the pomp and circumstance Bishop John Dougherty would not have wanted.

"No one, no one, would have wanted to avoid or shun such words of remembrance more than Bishop Dougherty himself," Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Bambera said during his remarks.

But someone with a career as long and life as big as Bishop Dougherty deserved nothing less.

The Scranton native served as a priest for 65 years; 14 of those years were spent serving as an auxiliary bishop in his hometown.

Bishop Dougherty left an impression on the priests who served alongside him.

"His holiness, it strikes me because it was authentic and real. People were able to see it in his actions. He didn't say one thing and do another. He stood by what he believed. He strived to be a holy man, and he actually was one of the most holy men I've ever met," said Fr. Jim Paisley, pastor of St. Theresa's Church in Shavertown.

"Most importantly to me is his presence with people. He taught us the importance of being present. He taught us the importance of taking time with people in need and just listening. He also had a great sense of humor," added Msgr. David Tressler, pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Kingston.

And perhaps that sense of humor would allow Bishop Dougherty to overlook the big to-do to say goodbye.

A Mass of Christian Burial for the Most Reverend John M. Dougherty, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Scranton, was held...

Posted by Diocese of Scranton on Tuesday, April 26, 2022

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