DALLAS (AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Dallas says that the Most Rev. Charles Grahmann, whose 17-year tenure as bishop of the diocese was marred by one of the first church sex abuse scandals to explode into public view, has died. He was 87.
The diocese says in a statement that Grahmann died Tuesday in San Antonio following a long illness. He was the sixth bishop of the Dallas diocese and served from 1990 to 2007.
Grahmann was appointed the first bishop of the Diocese of Victoria in 1982 before being named bishop in Dallas, where he was known for his ministry to the poor and marginalized.
But his time in Dallas also is noted for millions of dollars in settlements paid to abuse victims of a diocese priest, Rudolph “Rudy” Kos.