| Joseph Duffy | |
|---|---|
| Bishop-Emeritus of Clogher | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Clogher |
| In Office | 2 September 1979 - 6 May 2010 |
| Predecessor | Bishop Patrick Mulligan |
| Successor | Bishop Liam MacDaid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 February 1934 Dublin, Ireland |
| Previous post | |
The Most Reverend Dr. Joseph Duffy (born 3 February 1934), D.D., was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher in Ireland, a position he held from 1979 until his retirement on the 6th of May 2010. He resides in Monaghan Town, County Monaghan, Ireland.
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Bishop Duffy was the eldest of three boys and one girl born to Edward Duffy and Brigid MacEntee of Annagose, Newbliss, County Monaghan. Born in Dublin, he was educated at St. Louis' Infant School, Clones, County Monaghan, and at St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan, where he was a boarder for five years.
He studied for the priesthood at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, and was ordained priest for the Diocese of Clogher on 22 June 1958. After his ordination to the priesthood he continued his studies in Irish and completed a thesis on the dialect of South Tipperary for a Master’s degree in the National University of Ireland (the N.U.I.) in 1960.
He returned to St. Macartan’s College, where he taught Irish and French for twelve years. During these years he spent several sessions in French universities pursuing summer courses in French. He also worked at the pilgrimage shrine of Lough Derg in County Donegal and translated two books of the Old Testament, Amos and Ezekiel, for An Bíobla Gaeilge.
From 1972 to 1979 he was a curate in the parish of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. This was a team ministry with three other curates and the parish priest, and included a chaplaincy to St. Fanchea’s College for Girls, and a part-time chaplaincy at the Erne Hospital. During these years he was involved in PACE (Protestant and Catholic Encounter) and served on the committee of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (the U.A.H.S.).
On 7 July 1979, Duffy was named Bishop-elect of Clogher, at the age of 45, becoming the first Irish bishop to be appointed by Pope John Paul II. He was ordained a bishop in St. Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan Town, on 2 September of the same year.[1] The Principal Consecrator was His Eminence The Most Rev. Dr. Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich, Lord Primate of All Ireland and Lord Archbishop of Armagh.[2] His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Gaetano Alibrandi, Titular Lord Archbishop of Binda, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland at the time,[3] and The Most Rev. Dr. Patrick Mulligan, the Bishop-Emeritus of Clogher,[4] both acted as the Principal Co-Consecrators.
| Styles of Joseph Duffy |
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|---|---|
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Lordship |
| Religious style | Bishop |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
The youngest Irish bishop at the time of his ordination, on 28 January 2008, Bishop Duffy became the longest serving ordinary in Ireland. In accordance with Canon Law he offered his resignation to the Holy See on his seventy-fifth birthday, on 3 February 2009.[5] His resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 6 May 2010, when it was announced that The Rt. Rev. Dr. Liam Monsignor MacDaid would be his successor. Monsignor MacDaid was enthroned as Bishop MacDaid in late July, 2010.
During the 1980s, Bishop Duffy was Chairman of the Liturgy Commission of the Irish Bishops Conference. During this time he also undertook the re-ordering of the gothic St Macartan's Cathedral in Monaghan. This work has won much praise and comment from numerous commentators. As a former teacher, Duffy is also a well known educationalist and has participated in a number of Church Commissions on Educational matters, particularly in Northern Ireland, which covers a large part of his Diocese.
For some years during the 1990s he served as media spokesman for the Irish Bishops Conference. He was also Chairman of the Commission for Communications of the Irish Bishops' Conference and the representative of the Irish Bishops on the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union ([COMECE]). In addition to his formal duties, Bishop Duffy has served as Chairman of the Clogher Historical Society and was a former editor of its Journal- "Clogher Record". He is a noted historian, linguist and celtic scholar.
His Church of Ireland counterpart during the latter years of his episcopal term was The Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael Jackson. Bishop Duffy and Bishop Jackson have delivered a joint Christmas message each Christmas since 2002 [1]. Both Bishops Duffy and Jackson were also present at a service in honour of Saint Macartan, Patron Saint of Clogher. The service took place at St. Macartan's College, the Catholic Diocesan Seminary in Monaghan. It marked the celebration of fifteen hundred years of Christian witness in Clogher Diocese. In addition, they have held an Ecumenical Service on each Pentecost Sunday at an ancient Church site in the diocese.
| Preceded by Dr. Patrick Mulligan |
Bishop of Clogher 1979 –2010 |
Succeeded by Dr. Liam MacDaid |