Vatican City, Apr 1, 2008 / 08:10 am
The Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana, home to around 40,000 Catholics, received a new bishop today. Monsignor Michael Duca from the Diocese of Dallas will be the new shepherd of Shreveport, Archbishop Pietro Sambi the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. announced this morning.
Msgr. Michael Duca will become the second bishop of Shreveport, filling the seat left vacant when Bishop William Friend retired in December 2006.
In response to his appointment Bishop-elect Duca said, “I am humbled and honored by the Pope’s decision to appoint me as Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport. It is an incredible blessing that I look forward to, but not without some mixed emotions. My 30 years as a priest in the Diocese of Dallas have been a very enriching experience. The opportunity to serve in parishes and to work with the future priests of our diocese as rector of Holy Trinity Seminary has helped me to grow as a minister and person.”
Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas also had words of congratulation for Bishop-elect Duca, “I am delighted and thrilled for Bishop-elect Duca. The diocese has benefited from his ministry, his leadership and his many other talents. I will miss his support here but I am pleased the Diocese of Shreveport is getting such a strong and capable spiritual leader. We will pray for his success and happiness.”
Duca, 55, is a Dallas native and attended Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas, where he is now the rector. Ordained in 1978, he has also served as vocations director for the diocese, campus minister at Southern Methodist University and associate pastor at several Dallas churches.
Bishop-elect Duca’s appointment comes just one month away from his 30th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood.
The ordination and installation has been tentatively scheduled for May 19, according to the Diocese of Dallas.