The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester says Bishop Emeritus Matthew Clark died early Sunday morning at age 85. He died in his room at the Sisters of St. Joseph Mother House, where he’d been receiving nursing care after a period of declining health.
Bishop Salvatore Matano confirmed his predecessor’s death in a letter to the faithful.
Clark was Bishop of Rochester from 1979 to 2012, retiring at 75. He announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Clark was known for progressive beliefs, but his leadership was also marked by cases of sex abuse by priests who remained in ministry, according to lawsuits filed against the Diocese under New York’s Child Victim’s Act.