Michael Gerard Duca (born June 5, 1952) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge in Louisiana since his installation on August 24, 2018. He previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport in Louisiana from 2008 to 2018.

Biography

Early life

Michael Duca was born on June 5, 1952, in Dallas, Texas. He attended elementary school in Dallas and graduated from Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas in 1970. Duca attended Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas, from 1970 to 1978.

Priesthood

Duca was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe for the Diocese of Dallas at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on April 29, 1978, in Dallas. After his 1978 ordination, the diocese assigned Duca to pastoral roles at the following Texas parishes: In 1986, Duca was appointed as vocations director for the diocese and as chaplain at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In 1994, Duca traveled to Rome to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, receiving a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1996. After returning to Texas in 1996, Duca was named rector of Holy Trinity Seminary, a position he would hold until 2008.

Bishop of Shreveport

Duca was appointed as bishop of Shreveport by Pope Benedict XVI on April 1 2008. He was consecrated by Archbishop Alfred Hughes on May 19, 2008, at the Shreveport Convention Center, with approximately 3,000 people in attendance. Archbishop Michael Sheehan and Bishop Kevin Farrell were the co-consecrators. Duca was one of the regular panelists on the American Religious Townhall television program.

Bishop of Baton Rouge

Duca was appointed on June 26, 2018, by Pope Francis as the sixth bishop of Baton Rouge, succeeding Bishop Robert Muench, who retired. Duca was installed by Hughes on August 24, 2018.

Episcopal succession