Spiritan Congregation Elects the Rev. Jeffrey Duaime First General Assistant

During its General Chapter meeting last week in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, the Spiritan Congregation elected the Rev. Jeffrey Duaime, C.S.Sp., to serve on the six-member General Council at its international headquarters in Rome, Italy. He also was later elected as the first general assistant among the Council.

Since 2012 Duaime has served as the Spiritans’ U.S. Provincial, which is in Pittsburgh. In that role, he chairs the Duquesne University Corporation and has been an ex-officio member of Duquesne’s board of directors. The Corporation comprises members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) that founded and continue to sponsor Duquesne, working in conjunction with the board to govern the University. Duaime will finish his term as U.S. provincial in November.

In his new role, Duaime will collaborate with the Rev. Alain Mayama, C.S.Sp.—the Spiritans’ newly elected Superior General and fellow Duquesne alumnus—on the Congregation’s General Council to inspire about 2,500 Spiritan missionaries who work in more than 60 countries across five continents.

“As chair of the Duquesne University Corporation and as a 1980 graduate of the McAnulty College and a member of our campus community, Fr. Duaime has been a stellar example of our Catholic Spiritan heritage and embodiment of our mission,” President Ken Gormley said. “His steadfast leadership and guidance also have supported the University’s work to provide a horizon-expanding education to our students, while his compassion and empathy remind us that equity and opportunity begin at home.”

Duaime’s work for the Spiritan Congregation took him to the Bahamas and Haiti. His other posts included serving as director of vocations for the Spiritans’ eastern United States province, parochial vicar and administrator of St. Stanislaus and St. Patrick’s parishes in Pittsburgh and parish pastor in Arlington, Va. Duaime served as president of his alma mater, Holy Ghost Prep, for 11 years. During that time, he served as provincial superior of the Spiritan’s eastern United States province from 2004-2009 and was elected Superior of the newly merged U.S. Province in 2012.

“While he will be missed, Fr. Duaime’s election as a General Assistant for our Spiritan founders is something of which we can all be proud,” Gormley added.