Bishop Emeritus James J. Hogan of the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown died Monday.

  
Bishop James J. Hogan

Bishop Hogan was 93 and died at Garvey Manor Nursing Home in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, the diocese said.

"As we recall his memory, we remember the 21 plus years that he guided this diocese. They were times of transition and challenge. He met them with faith, gentleness, humility and hope," Bishop Joseph V. Adamec said in a statement.

Bishop Hogan and the diocese were found liable by a Blair County jury in 1994 for the actions of a priest accused of molesting a child. The jury found the diocese and Bishop Hogan had known the priest "had a propensity for pedophiliac behavior" and were negligent in retaining him as a priest and supervising his activities.

The jury found that Francis Luddy molested Michael Hutchison Jr. in 1983 and 1984. Luddy was Hutchison's godfather and parish priest. At trial, Luddy denied molesting Hutchison, but admitted molesting other boys. He has since been defrocked.

The diocese paid $1.2 million in compensatory, interest and delayed damages, including the $519,000 in compensatory damages to cover Hutchison's counseling. Still to be decided by a court is whether $1 million in punitive damages that were awarded can stand.

Hutchison, now in his 30s, was last known to be living in Ohio.

Bishop Hogan was born on Oct. 17, 1911, in Philadelphia and attended school in Camden, N.J. He was ordained at the North American College in Rome in 1937 and served as a priest in New Jersey before being appointed bishop of Altoona-Johnstown.

From 1962 to 1965, Bishop Hogan took part in the Second Vatican Council in Rome, the landmark conference which defined the focus and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

On July 6, 1966, he was installed as the bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, a position he held until Oct. 17, 1986, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Bishop Hogan will be received at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona on Monday at 3 p.m.

Viewings will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday, 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and 9 to 11:30 a.m. next Wednesday. A vigil Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Tuesday and a funeral Mass at noon June 22 in the cathedral. Adamec will preside.

First Published: June 15, 2005, 4:00 a.m.