Background
John Dooher was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to Irish immigrants Anthony (Tony) and Brigid (Patsy) Dooher.
John Dooher was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to Irish immigrants Anthony (Tony) and Brigid (Patsy) Dooher.
He studied at Saint John"s Seminary in Brighton, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 and a Master"s in Divinity in 1969.
He currently serves as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. Early life and education
Ordination and ministry
From 1974 to 1991, he served at Saint Augustine Church in South Boston. During this period, he was also President of the Priests" Senate (1978–1982) and Director of the Office of Spiritual Development (1982–1991).
From 1991 to 1996, Dooher served at Saint Vincent de Paul Church and Ss.
Peter and Paul Church, which were later merged. He was then named pastor of Saint Mary of the Assumption Church in Dedham in 1996.
At Saint Mary"s, Dooher also founded the Life Teen program Auxiliary Bishop of Boston
On October 12, 2006, Dooher was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and Titular Bishop of Theveste by Pope Benedict XVI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 12 from Seán Cardinal O"Malley, Order of Friars Minor Cap., with Bishops Francis Irwin and Walter Edyvean serving as co-consecrators.
As an auxiliary, Dooher serves as regional bishop for the South Pastoral Region.
His appointment was met with some criticism from advocates of sexual abuse victims" rights, who claimed that Dooher "abetted a harmful and immoral coverup for the Boston archdiocese" as a priest. He had been mentioned in a 2003 report by Attorney General Thomas Reilly as one of two priests who in the mid-1990s met with pastors in parishes affected by abuse cases, and in a 2002 deposition by Bishop John McCormack as having participated in conversations in the Archdiocese in 1994 about where to house abusive priests.