Father J. Edward Duggan, 85, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, died on Sept. 7, 2010 after a long illness. He had been living at Holy Family Villa in Palos Park. A Chicago native, born to parents of Irish descent, Fr. Duggan received his elementary education from St. Catherine of Siena in Oak Park, then attended Fenwick High School his freshman year and graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary in 1943.
After graduating from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in 1950, he was ordained on May 3 of that year by Samuel Cardinal Stritch. His first assignment was assistant pastor at St. Columbanus in Chicago, followed by teaching at Quigley Preparatory Seminary from 1952 until 1958 when he was named assistant superintendent of the Archdiocesan School System, where he served until 1963. From 1963 to 1966, he served as Archdiocesan director of vocations and was the Archdiocesan secretary of vocations and secretary for seminarians from 1966 until 1974. He served as the executive secretary for the Office of Conciliation and Arbitration from 1972 until 1975.
Fr. Duggan was pastor of St. John Brebeuf in Niles from 1974 until 1986 and the assistant pastor at St. Bartholomew in Chicago from 1986 until his retirement in 1994 when he was named pastor emeritus at St. John Brebeuf.
Bishop Thad Jakubowski, auxiliary bishop of Chicago and a classmate of Fr. Duggan, said he was helpful to everyone he came in contact with and will be remembered for always doing things from his heart.
“Fr. Duggan liked to teach and was very ‘people conscious’ in all his roles and responsibilities,” said Jakubowski. “He absolutely loved working with all the people at the parishes where he served and was truly dedicated to helping and directing those with vocations.”
Fr. Duggan is survived by his sister, Mary Philbin of Oak Park. Visitation was held Sept. 12 at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home in Oak Park. Bishop Jakubowski was the main celebrant at a funeral Mass on Sept. 13 at St. Edmund Church in Oak Park, followed by interment at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston.
