Departing long-serving Bathurst parish priest Father James Cutcliffe and devoted former staff member Jan Clarke were at the bishop’s side when he died at St Catherine’s Nursing Home.

Bishop Dougherty led the Bathurst Catholic diocese for 25 years until his retirement in 2008. He had been suffering from lung cancer for several months before his health declined rapidly last week. He was 78.

Bishop of Bathurst Michael McKenna yesterday said that Bishop Dougherty had "died peacefully, surrounded with love and prayer".

"In his illness, he has shown the faith, acceptance and respect of others that you would expect from the true Christian and devoted priest the bishop was," he said.

Bishop McKenna related how Bishop Dougherty’s last wish was to be buried in the Bathurst cemetery after his funeral is held next Wednesday, September 8, from 11am at St Michael and St John’s Cathedral.

"It was his wish to go into the ground in Bathurst," he said. "As we know, previous bishops of Bathurst have been"interred in the cathedral."

Bishop McKenna said Bishop Dougherty had remained active up until last Thursday at St Catherine’s, accompanying Monsignor Shannon to prayers and saying mass.

Bishop McKenna anointed Bishop Dougherty after his condition deteriorated on Monday, and Hugh Dougherty had come from Lithgow to be with his younger brother. When the bishop took another turn on Monday evening, Fr James and Jan Clarke went to his side.

As planning for the bishop’s funeral continued Bishop McKenna said it was expected the Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell would be among the mourners, along with the Pope’s representative the Apostolic Nuncio, Giuseppe Lazzaroto.

Bishop McKenna said the late bishop was one of four boys - three of whom became priests. The seventh Bishop of Bathurst, Bishop Dougherty officially retired on December 8, 2008. He had served 56 years as a priest and 34 years of his life as a bishop.