Thomas Doran, bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, dies

ILLINOIS
Journal Standard

By Corina Curry
Staff writer

ROCKFORD — The Most Rev. Thomas G. Doran, bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, died peacefully today at his residence in Presence Cor Mariae, according to the diocese. He was 80.

Bishop Doran was appointed the eighth bishop of the Rockford Diocese on April 19, 1994, and served until he retired on March 20, 2012. He was the second native born priest of the diocese.

“As Bishop Doran’s successor, I wish to express my own sorrow at the loss of my predecessor and friend,” said Bishop David Malloy today in a news release. “I express as well my sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Bishop Doran, especially his sister Susanne. …

Doran led the diocese through tumultuous times during the early 2000s as the Catholic Church became embroiled in a sex abuse scandal. The Rockford Diocese did not avoid the scandal’s reach. Doran was forced in May 2002 to publicly explain how he had in 1996 removed a priest named Harlan Clapsaddle from most of his pastoral duties when a family reported sexual abuse after two decades of silence.

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