President of Diocesan Catholic Charities announces retirement

JOE DUFFY

Joseph Duffy reflects on 45 years of serving the neediest in Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties

CLIFTON  After a 45-year commitment to serving those most in need in the Church of Paterson, Joseph Duffy announced that he plans to retire and step down from his duties as president of Catholic Charities and executive director of Straight and Narrow in Paterson, effective June 30.

“I believe it is time for a change in the leadership. Change has been the modus operandi in the intervening years from then till now and no doubt will continue to be,” said Duffy. “While I still believe myself to be a very good administrator, I no longer have the energy I started with in 1997 and the creative ideas do not flow as easily as they did all those years. Those we serve need and deserve high energy leadership with lots of fresh ideas as do the staff of our agencies. I believe it is time to step away and allow and support that kind of transition.”

Bishop Serratelli said, “In all his years of service to the Diocese of Paterson and most especially as president of Catholic Charities, Joe Duffy has been an outstanding leader, a great administrator and an exemplary witness to the faith. His great compassion and his personal interest in every detail of serving others have continually inspired those who know him in the work of serving those in need. Joe Duffy’s enthusiasm and zeal for the Church’s ministry of charity have won him both local and national recognition. We will all miss him dearly.”

Msgr. James Mahoney, vicar general, moderator of the Curia and pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham Township, called Duffy “a tireless fighter for justice and an innovator who continues to adapt to new and pressing needs and who is incredibly easy to work with despite the challenges and stress. I have known Joe for several decades. He is truly retiring at the top. Our Catholic Charities agencies are widely respected both inside and outside the diocese. This is due to the wonderful staff in our Catholic Charities agencies, the support of the people of the diocese, and Joe’s 24/7 approach to his role as our leader of Catholic Charities.”

Duffy, who grew up in Paterson and lives in West Milford, began his service in the Paterson Diocese while in the seminary in 1970 as a camp counselor for the former Camp Alexander, a residential summer camp program of Department for Persons with Disabilities. In 1971 he worked as house parent at Murray House in Paterson (now in Clifton), the first group home for adults with disabilities in N.J. It was during his time at DPD that he decided to leave his studies in the seminary and went to work for DPD as the director of the former Navagh Adult Opportunity Center until 1976.

“The work of Catholic Charities has never been just a job for me,” said Duffy, “It has very much been a vocational calling. I have been privileged to work with so many wonderful staff, board members and other volunteers, donors and other supporters and to see the face of Jesus in them and most especially in the clients we serve and have served.”

Following his work at DPD, Duffy worked for 21 years at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson where he served as vice president for long-term and ambulatory care services.

His return to Diocesan Catholic Charities happened in 1997 when Bishop Emeritus Rodimer and Msgr. Herbert Tillyer recruited Duffy to serve as executive secretary of Diocesan Catholic Charities and executive director of Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS) in Paterson.

During the past 20 years serving the poor, Duffy’s greatest memories involve the moments when Diocesan Catholic Charities met the needs of the people experiencing great adversity.

Duffy said, “Sept. 11, 2001 really comes to mind and how we learned to truly respond when disaster happens. Even before the terrorists’ attacks, the Catholic Charities was changing the way it responded to disasters. A series of spring floods in the years before 9/11 and the increased need for disaster assistance, caused Catholic Charities to shift its emphasis on referring disaster victims to the Red Cross to providing direct assistance to disaster victims and developing collaborating work relationships with other nonprofit and government agencies. When 9/11 happened Catholic Charities was able to respond and provide direct assistance from day one.”

One of the proudest moments for Duffy in his 45-year career is the distinction the Diocese holds for sending the most people to volunteer out of any diocese in the nation to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“Our diocese really stood out. To date, 1,000 people have helped clean up or rebuild hundreds of homes in New Orleans. We’ve sent 11 tractor trailers with furniture to Louisiana and as far as Texas and California, where many people relocated. So many dioceses are a lot closer to these places but New Orleans knew we would get it done,” said Duffy. “About 70 people also relocated here. One parish that really spearheaded the Katrina effort was Notre Dame of Mount Carmel in Cedar Knolls,” said Duffy.

While 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina were significant newsmakers around the world, one of Duffy fondest memories is a story that wouldn’t make the nightly newscast but one that has left a great impact on understanding his work with Cath­olic Charities. “It was on Christ­mas Eve a couple of years ago,” he said. “It was 4 p.m., bitter cold, and we were about to close CFCS for the holiday. A pregnant woman (almost full term), homeless with no means, came to our door. It reminded me so much of the Nativity story. We could have easily not answered the door after closing time, but we did. That evening, we got her and her husband a hotel room and took care of what she needed until she was ready to go to the hospital and have the baby.”

Following his years of service for Catholic Charities, Duffy looks forward to spending more time with his family, especially his two young grandchildren. Duffy’s family consists of his wife of 39 years, Carolyn, who is a retired special education teacher, and their three adult children; Kevin, who is married with one child, and vice president for development at City Harvest; Meghan, who is married with one child, and an occupational therapist, and Ryan, a lawyer with the firm of Wilson Elser in Washington D.C.

With Duffy’s retirement, the Diocese will seek to find the right person to follow in his footsteps and continue his leadership skills at Catholic Charities. “We now begin the process of seeking a successor to Joe,” Msgr. Mahoney said. “The input of many will be sought. As of right now, there is no specific timeline yet established. That will happen over the next few weeks.”

“I am honored to have been a part of Catholic Charities and to have been able to work with so many wonderful, hard-working and caring people. Thank you for all your help, support and caring,” said Duffy.