Bishop Patrick Dougherty was born in Kensington, Sydney on November 21st 1931,the second of four sons born to Madge and William Dougherty.

His Primary School education was at Our Lady of the Rosary school, Kensington and Waverley College. His Secondary School education was completed at St. Columba's College in Springwood in 1948. From there he continued his studies for the Priesthood at St. Patrick's College in Manly (1950) before being sent that year to Propaganda Fide College in Rome, where he was ordained a Priest on 7th December 1954.

Obtaining his Doctorate of Divinity in Spiritual Theology from the Urban University in Rome in February 1957, he immediately returned to Australia and was appointed Assistant Priest of St. Mel's in Campsie (Sydney).

At Cardinal Gilroy's invitation he was in Rome throughout 1958 to research the life of Mother Mary Potter, foundress of the Little Company of Mary. Then followed three years (1959 - 61) as Lecturer in Logic, History of Philosophy, Latin and Italian at St. Columba's Seminary in Springwood where he was also a Dean of Students and in 1961 Director of the "Spiritual Year" for first year students.

January 1962 saw a return to Rome as an Assistant Vice Rector of Propaganda Fide College and in 1967 appointment as a Vice Rector of the College. In 1963 his book, "Mother Mary Potter, foundress of the Little Company of Mary" was published.

In August 1970 he again returned to Australia, having been appointed to the newly established Secretariat of the Australian Episcopal Conference in Canberra. He was ordained a Bishop on 8th December 1976 and from then until 1983 was an Auxiliary Bishop of the Canberra and Goulburn Archdiocese and the Secretary of the Australian Episcopal Conference.

In 1983 Bishop Dougherty was appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst and was installed on 5th October that year.