John Charles Dunne (born October 30, 1937) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is currently an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, serving since 1988.
John Dunne was born in Brooklyn, New York, to the late Mark and Helen Dunne.[1] His only brother, Mark J. Dunne (d. 1982), was also a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.[1] He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Boniface Church in Elmont and at St. Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn. He attended Cathedral College, also in Brooklyn, before studying at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1963.[2]
Dunne served as a curate at St. Anthony of Padua Church in East Northport, and was later named associate director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and of the Family Life Bureau.[1] In 1970, he becmae spiritual director of Immaculate Conception Seminary, where he remained until he was appointed associate vicar for religious.[1] He was later named a curate at Corpus Christi Church in Mineola (1974) and director of the Priest Personnel Office (1978). In 1984, he became pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Valley Stream.[1]
On October 21, 1988, Dunne was appointed auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre and titular bishop of Abercornia by Pope John Paul II.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 13 from Bishop John Raymond McGann, with Bishops James Joseph Daly and Alfred John Markiewicz serving as co-consecrators, at St. Agnes Cathedral.[2] He selected as his episcopal motto: "God Is Love" (1 John 4:16).[1]
As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Dunne served as chairman of the Bishops' Committee on Science and Human Values and of the Committee on Women in Society and in the Church.[3][4]