Michael Duca
Catholic bishop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Gerard Duca (born June 5, 1952) is an American Catholic prelate who serves as bishop of the Baton Rouge in Louisiana. He previously served as the bishop of the Shreveport in Louisiana from 2008 to 2018.
Michael Gerard Duca | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Baton Rouge | |
| |
| Church | Catholic |
| Diocese | Baton Rouge |
| Appointed | June 26, 2018 |
| Installed | August 24, 2018 |
| Predecessor | Robert William Muench |
| Previous post | Bishop of Shreveport (2008-2018) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 29, 1978 by Thomas Ambrose Tschoepe |
| Consecration | May 19, 2008 by Alfred Clifton Hughes, Michael Sheehan, and Kevin Farrell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 5, 1952 Dallas, Texas, US |
| Education | Holy Trinity Seminary Southern Methodist University Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas |
| Motto | Spera in Domino (Hope in the Lord) |
| Styles of Michael Gerard Duca | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Biography
Early life
Michael Duca was born on June 5, 1952, in Dallas, Texas. He attended Saint Thomas Aquinas School in Dallas for primary and secondary education, and graduated from Bishop Lynch High School in 1970.[1] Duca attended Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas, from 1970 to 1978.[2][3]
Priesthood
Duca was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe for the Diocese of Dallas at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on April 29, 1978.[4][1] After his 1978 ordination, the diocese assigned Duca as parochial vicar at the following parishes:[5][1]
- All Saints in Dallas (1978-1981)
- St. Patrick in Dallas (1981-1984)
- St. Luke in Irving (1984-1985)[3]
In 1985, Duca was appointed as diocesan vocations director and as chaplain at Southern Methodist University.[3] In 1994, Duca traveled to Rome to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, receiving a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1996.[3] After returning to Texas in 1996, Duca was named rector of Holy Trinity Seminary, a position he would hold until 2008.
Bishop of Shreveport
Duca was appointed as bishop of Shreveport by Pope Benedict XVI on April 1, 2008.[5] He was consecrated by Archbishop Alfred Hughes on May 19, 2008, at the Shreveport Convention Center, with approximately 3,000 people in attendance. Archbishop Michael Sheehan and Bishop Kevin Farrell were the co-consecrators.[4] Duca was one of the regular panelists on the American Religious Townhall television program.[citation needed]
Bishop of Baton Rouge
Duca was appointed on June 26, 2018, by Pope Francis as the sixth bishop of Baton Rouge, succeeding Bishop Robert Muench, who retired. Duca was installed on August 24, 2018.[6][4]
