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Retired Archbishop John Roach dies
July 11, 2003

The first Minnesota native to head the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis died Friday. Former Archbishop John Roach, 81, died at Little Sisters of the Poor, also known as the Holy Family Residence, in St. Paul. He served as archbishop from 1975 until his retirement in 1995.

St. Paul, Minn. — The first Minnesota native to head the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis died Friday. Former Archbishop John Roach, 81, died at Little Sisters of the Poor, also known as the Holy Family Residence, in St. Paul.

The popular Catholic leader was appointed by Pope Paul VI in 1975, and retired in 1995.

Roach's most enduring legacy might be his careful encouragement of various church factions, from ultraconservatives who hated change to radical liberals who wanted the church to toss all its rules.

But he is also remembered for his mistakes -- a drunken-driving arrest and a later admission that he was an alcoholic, and clergy sex-abuse cases in the 1980s that culminated in lawsuits that exposed Roach's lenient treatment of priests accused of molestation.

Roach also served as president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1983-1985. Roach retired as archbishop in 1995, and was succeeded in that position by the current Archbishop Harry Flynn.

"Archbishop Roach was an outstanding church leader," Flynn said. "He made major contributions to the lives of both Catholics and non-Catholics in the archdiocese. He was instrumental in calling national attention to social justice issues, fostering ecumenism at thelocal level, and building up the work of the laity."

Roach's funeral will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the St. Paul Cathedral.

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