Douglas Lucia was born on March 17, 1963, in Plattsburgh, New York, to Leward and Betty (Pepin) Lucia. After deciding to become a priest, Lucia entered Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1985.[1]
Lucia was ordained a priest at St. Mary's Cathedral in Ogdensburg by Bishop Stanislaus Joseph Brzana for the Diocese of Ogdensburg on May 20, 1989.[3] After his ordination, the diocese assigned Lucia as parochial vicar at the following parishes:
St. Mary's Cathedral (1995 to 1997). He was also named as assistant secretary to the marriage tribune in 1995.[1]
In 1997, Lucia traveled to Rome to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.[2] After Lucia came back to Ogdensburg in 1999, Brzana named him adjutant judicial vicar and vice chancellor of the diocese. He also became administrator of St. Raphael’s Parish in Heuvelton, New York, and worked part-time and as a chaplain at the Gouverneur Correctional Facility in Gouverneur, New York.[1]
In 2000, Bishop Gerald Barbarito named Lucia as his priest-secretary and in 2003 as director of vocations.[4] Bishop Robert J. Cunningham named Lucia as chancellor in 2004, along with episcopal vicar for diocesan services.[1] In 2017, Lucia became pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Waddington, New York, and St. John the Baptist Parish in Madrid, New York.[1]
Lucia coached youth ice hockey teams before moving to Syracuse.
Pope Francis named Lucia to succeed Cunningham as bishop of Syracuse on June 4, 2019.[5][6][2] On August 8, 2019, Lucia was ordained by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, with Bishops Terry R. LaValley and Cunningham serving as co-consecrators.[7]
In June 2020, Lucia announced that the diocese would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was facing hundreds of lawsuits based on sexual abuse allegations. Lucia stated that he wanted to ensure that all the alleged victims received some compensation, although some lawyers said that the diocese was seeking to avoid the lawsuits.[8]
In July 2021, Lucia indicated that he would request that the Vatican repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, a series of papal bulls from the 15th century that legitimized the subjugation of indigenous populations in the Americas by Catholic European powers.[9]
Catholicism
New York (state)
