Charles Victor Grahmann

On March 17, 1956 Grahmann was ordained as a priest in San Antonio, Texas. He was named Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio on June 30, 1981 by Pope John Paul II, with the titular see of Equilium.

The Pope appointed him the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Victoria, Texas on April 13, 1982.[1]

In 1989, Grahmann was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, Texas, and he became Bishop of Dallas on July 14, 1990.[2]

During his tenure, the scandal of Rudolph Kos, a pedophile priest of the Dallas Diocese, came up. Bishop Grahmann and his predecessor were held not to have investigated the allegations against Kos and of trying to cover things up. On July 10, 1998 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas settled their appeal of a $120 million court verdict and agreed to pay $23.4 million to eight former altar boys and the relatives of a ninth who had claimed they were sexually abused by Kos.[3] Bishop Grahmann issued a written apology when this settlement was announced, saying, "To the victims and their families, I once again want to apologize on behalf of the diocese. Based on what we know now, the decisions made concerning Rudy Kos were errors in human judgment. I regret very much what happened, and I am deeply sorry for your pain".[3]

On July 15, 2006, his 75th birthday, Grahmann offered the Vatican his letter of resignation as bishops are traditionally invited to do at that age.[4] He continued to serve until April 30, 2007, and his successor, former Washington, D.C. Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Farrell, was installed as the new Bishop on May 1, 2007.[5]

• Diocese of Dallas – Official Website