John Raymond Gaydos | |
|---|---|
| Bishop Emeritus of Jefferson City | |
| Archdiocese | St. Louis |
| Diocese | Jefferson City |
| Appointed | June 25, 1997 |
| Installed | August 27, 1997 |
| Retired | November 21, 2017 |
| Predecessor | Michael Francis McAuliffe |
| Successor | Shawn McKnight |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 20, 1968 by Francis Frederick Reh |
| Consecration | August 27, 1997 by Justin Francis Rigali,Michael Francis McAuliffe, andOscar Hugh Lipscomb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1943-08-14)August 14, 1943 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | September 6, 2025(2025-09-06) (aged 82) Kirkwood, Missouri, U.S. |
| Education | St. Louis Preparatory Seminary Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Motto | With a shepherd's care |
| Styles of John Raymond Gaydos | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
John Raymond Gaydos (August 14, 1943 – September 6, 2025) was an Americanprelate of theRoman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of theDiocese of Jefferson City in Missouri from 1997 to 2017.
John Gaydos was born on August 14, 1943, inSt. Louis, Missouri, to George and Carrie (née Lee) Gaydos.[1] He graduated from St. Agnes School in 1957, then entered St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis. In 1961, Gaydos entered Cardinal Glennon College atKenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri.[2]
In 1965, Gaydos traveled to Rome to reside at thePontifical North American College while attending thePontifical Gregorian University. He obtained hisBachelor of Sacred Theology degree indogmatic theology in 1969.
On December 20, 1968, Gaydos wasordained to the priesthood for theArchdiocese of Saint Louis by BishopFrancis Reh inSt. Peter's Basilica in Rome.[3][1]
After returning to Missouri, Gaydos was assigned as associatepastor of St. Joseph Parish inManchester, Missouri, until 1974. He was then transferred to be associate pastor at St. CeciliaParish in St. Louis, serving there until 1977. Gaydos was appointed as priest-secretary to CardinalJohn Carberry and as vice-chancellor ofSt. Louis from 1977 to 1981. He then became secretary to ArchbishopJohn May and full chancellor until 1990. Gaydos became pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish inKirkwood, Missouri in 1990, andvicar general of the archdiocese on February 14, 1996.
On June 25, 1997,Pope John Paul II appointed Gaydos as the third bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City. He was consecrated on August 27, 1997, by ArchbishopJustin Rigali, with BishopMichael McAuliffe and ArchbishopOscar Lipscomb serving as co-consecrators, at theCathedral of Saint Joseph in Jefferson City.[1]
As bishop, Gaydos established a branch ofCatholic Charities USA. He built the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center in Jefferson City to consolidate all the diocesan ministries andFather Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri.[2]
Within theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Gaydos served as chair of the Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry, and was a member of theAd Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, the Administrative Committee, and the Committee for Communications.
On March 19, 2002, Gaydos and the diocese were sued by a former student at St. Thomas Aquinas Preparatory Seminary inHannibal, Missouri. The plaintiff claimed that BishopAnthony J. O'Connell, then rector at the seminary, had sexually exploited him.[4] In May 2002, facing declining enrollment at the seminary and pending lawsuits, Gaydos closed it.[5]
In March 2002, it was revealed that the diocese had made a secret settlement of $125,000 in 1996 to a former seminarian who claimed to have been sexually abused by O'Connell in 1969 at the seminary. In 1988, O'Connell was named bishop of theDiocese of Palm Beach; it is unknown if Gaydos had informed John Paul II about the O'Connell settlement before he appointed O'Connell as bishop.[6] In 2002, O'Connell admitting abusing two boys at the seminary and resigned as bishop of Palm Beach.
In 2003, Gaydos and the diocese were named in a sexual abuse lawsuit by a Missouri man. The plaintiff alleged that Reverend Gary Pool and Reverend Kevin Clohessy had sexually abused him for most of his childhood.[7]
On September 3, 2015, the diocese settled for $40,000 a long-standing sexual abuse claim byDavid Clohessy, the brother of Kevin Clohessy, against Reverend John Whiteley. David Clohessy had sued the diocese in 1991, claiming that Whiteley, then a pastor at St. Pius X Parish inMoberly, Missouri, had sexually abused him. Clohessy's case was dismissed in 1993 due to the Missouristatute of limitations. However, Clohessy renewed his claim in 2015 and the diocese decided that it was credible.[8]
In 2017, Gaydos sent a letter of resignation toPope Francis, asking for early retirement as bishop of Jefferson City for health reasons.[9][1] These were later described ashypertension, arterial fibrillation, and the need forheart valve replacement.[10] The pope accepted his resignation on November 21, 2017.
Gaydos died at the St. Agnes senior care home inKirkwood, Missouri, on September 6, 2025, at the age of 82.[11]
Quotations related toJohn R. Gaydos at Wikiquote
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Jefferson City 1997–2017 | Succeeded by |
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