Father John Dougherty

Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Ordained: 1945

Deceased: 2003

Summary of Allegations Against Father John C. Dougherty:

Not much is known about Father John Dougherty's past with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. But According to the Archdiocese website Father Dougherty's name is included on a secret 1994 memo from Wm. Lynn to Monsignor James Molloy regarding priests in secret archives who were accused of sexual misconduct with a minor but for whom no conclusive evidence was found. At the time of the memo, Dougherty was assigned as Associate Pastor at St. Bartholomew parish in Philadelphia, but no further information was given to the public about the allegations against Dougherty. The age/gender and number of alleged victims is unknown.

Msgr. Lynn, then the Archbishop's Secretary for Clergy, is the only Catholic Church official in the United States to be convicted for his role in the coverup of child sexual abuse allegations. In 2012, he was convicted of child endangerment. His conviction has twice been overturned. His most recent re-trial was ordered to begin in March 2020, just as the COVID pandemic was closing courts across America. He will likely stand for retrial in 2021.

Father John Dougherty died in 2003.

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Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims.

Father John Dougherty – Archdiocese of Philadelphia