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Monk marks milestone
Editor’s note: The following article erroneously reported jubilarian Father Denis Dougherty’s current parish in the winter issue of Tower Topics.
Father Denis Dougherty – pastor, counselor, teacher – celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood this year.
Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Feb. 27, 1929, Donald Dougherty graduated from Trinity High School and attended Creighton University before coming to Conception Abbey. He was professed Sept. 8, 1952, taking the name Denis, and ordained to the priesthood May 26, 1956.
Following ordination, Father Denis served for a year as assistant pastor at the Catholic Indian Mission in Fort Yates, N.D., before earning a master’s degree in Sociology from St. Louis University in 1959. He returned to Conception to teach sociology and psychology in the seminary and theology school. From 1960 to 1964 Father Denis earned another master’s degree and a doctorate in education psychology from the University of Missouri. He counseled students and taught psychology and sociology at Conception from 1963 to 1972. While there, he combined the two disciplines into a Department of Behavioral Sciences. In 1968, he founded the Apostolic Program, which he directed until 1972.
Following the closing of the theology school in 1972, Father Denis moved to Rockhurst College in Kansas City, where for six years he taught psychology and served, first as an assistant and then as director, in the college’s counseling center.
He returned to the Conception area in 1978 to accept his first pastorate, at St. Columba parish in Conception Junction. He remained there for eight years, during which the church was remodeled. In that time he also founded and directed the Benedictine Counseling and Consulting Institute, first in St. Joseph and later at St. Francis Hospital in Maryville.
Father Denis was pastor of St. Gabriel parish in Kansas City, Mo. from 1986 to 1999. Since that time he has been pastor of St. Joseph parish in Springfield, Mo.
We welcome your comments:
communications@conception.edu
www.conceptionabbey.org
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