Dougherty, Father John
1977, September 19
Date of Birth: 1903, August 3
John Dougherty (frequently called “Joe Doc”) was born in Delta, Pennsylvania, on August 3, 1903. Since his parish church is in Pylesville, Maryland, he belonged to the Archdiocese of Baltimore. His early education was in the Union School of Delta from 1910 to 1916. The Union School was a one-room schoolhouse, with all eight grades within it. In 1917 John Dougherty came to St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland, from which he graduated in 1923. He took his Philosophy from 1923 to 1925 at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, and attained his B.A. in the latter year. For his Theology he went to the Sulpician Seminary (Theological College) at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1925. He earned his S.T.B. in 1928, and his M.A. in 1929, from The Catholic University of America. He was ordained on June 10, 1929, for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Father Dougherty’s first assignment was to St. Charles College, where he taught Greek, General Science, and History. The year 1930-1931 was spent at the Solitude in Catonsville.
After Solitude, in 1931, Father Dougherty was assigned to St. Edward’s Seminary in Seattle, Washington, where he taught a number of subjects in both the minor and the major seminaries. In 1939 he came to St. Mary’s Seminary, Roland Park, for higher studies. He earned his S.T.L. in 1939, and his S.T.D. in 1941. In that year he returned to St. Edward’s where, besides teaching, he acted as Vestiare and Procurator. He became a faculty member at St. Thomas Seminary when that opened as a seminary distinct from St. Edward’s. In 1967 Father Dougherty came back to St. Charles College to join its faculty. He retired in 1970 to become chaplain to the Dominican nuns whose convent was near St. Charles College. In 1971 he transferred his residence to the newly opened Sulpician Retirement Home, St. Charles Villa. Father Dougherty died in his sleep at the Villa on September 19, 1977.
Adapted from Father Dougherty’s “Personal Data” sheet and from The Voice.