Carlow native Fr Oliver Duggan served in Seattle, USA for almost 50 years

FR OLIVER F Duggan went home to the Lord Jesus peacefully on 26 December 2024 at Lake Heights Senior Care in Bellevue, Washington State, USA.

Born in Carlow on 12 October 1940 to his parents Pat Duggan and Kathleen Lavelle Duggan, he was the eighth child and sixth son of 15 children.

Pat and Kathleen ran a family grocery shop in Carlow town. And like many of his siblings, Fr Ollie was born over the shop. His Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and first Mass after ordination all took place in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow.

He attended St Joseph’s National School under the care of the Sisters of Mercy from age four to eight. From eight to 18, he attended the Christian Brothers primary and secondary schools. He was a boy scout and member of the FCA (army reserve), later becoming a garda.

His uncle Martin Duggan would return home in the summers from Seattle, where he served as a priest and oversaw the construction of Holy Cross Parish in Tacoma, Washington State. These visits and stories of Uncle Martin’s ministry made an impression upon Ollie and his oldest brother Peter.

Fr Martin served from 1925 to 1975 and inspired Ollie and elder brother Fr Peter, who served from 1955 to 2010, and several cousins also to following in his footsteps. The year 2025 would have marked 100 years of his family’s ministry presence in the Archdiocese of Seattle.

To pursue his calling, Fr Ollie entered Osterly College in Middlesex, England and seminary at All Hallows College in Dublin, following in the footsteps of his brother Peter, who he greatly loved and admired.

He was ordained a priest on 21 June 1971 at All Hallows in Dublin for the Diocese of Brentwood, England. He served as an assistant at St Margaret’s Church in East London until 1974 and then for two years in Dagenham, Essex at Holy Family Church. He very much enjoyed his time in the London parish, where he particularly enjoyed his ministry to the dockers and the local Irish immigrant community.

In 1976, he requested to join his brother Peter in Seattle and was granted this request and assigned as an associate pastor in Ferndale at St Joseph Parish in Bellevue until 1980. He was officially incardinated as a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle on 1 December 1976.

He was appointed as a pastor to Immaculate Conception Parish in Arlington and then was founding pastor of St Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bothell, where he would remain for the next 15 years.

At St Elizabeth Ann Seton, he helped found a centre for single parents among several other ministries. Finally, he was appointed pastor of Assumption Parish in north Seattle on 1 July 2000. He said one Mass and then headed off to Ireland for his vacation. While he was gone, the parish community found out that he had his 25th anniversary as a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle. The parish threw him a spaghetti dinner party entitled ‘Ollie, Ollie, all come free!’ when he returned.

This began a love affair between Fr Ollie and Assumption. During his time, he guided the parish and school through several building projects and capital campaigns and grew the community in every way.

Throughout his time as a pastor in Seattle, he was a master builder and oversaw construction of several buildings from Arlington to Bothell to Seattle. He prided himself on stewardship and engaging all of the baptised to take their place in liturgy decision-making and governance. He was ahead of his time and well known to empower lay women in leadership roles in parish life.

He was a dean and consultor for several archbishops and was a founding member of the priest pension and health board, where he helped to create the investment portfolio that continues to thrive to this day.

Fr Oliver had a robust personality. He had a soft, light-hearted side that attracted especially those on the margins towards the table of the Lord. At the same time, he was loyal and determined to follow through on his decisions and views he had about Church and community and archdiocesan life. He was a man of the Word and a man of his word. Truly a man for others, especially the poor and vulnerable, and a Church man and political man.

He loved football, both American and Irish, and never lost his love for hurling, which he would say took the greatest hand and eye co-ordination of any sport. He was a voracious reader and his shelves were as eclectic as his personality – from non-fiction to fantasy, to science and American and British literature, current affairs and ancient theology.

Fr Ollie loved making an annual trip back to Ireland to visit family. He enjoyed his many nephews and nieces.

Over time, Seattle became his home and Assumption Parish became his people; he held both families in his heart very comfortably and in turn was held in highest affection by both. The Assumption family’s love, loyal friendship and care has been so central during his final illness since last July. His Irish family will be eternally grateful for this and be ever grateful in their debt.

Fr Ollie was a man who perhaps understood the vulnerability of others more clearly than his own and whose determination to serve the Church burned strongly in him to the very end – few priests are pastors through to the age 83! It might be said he died of exhaustion while serving God and His people.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon him. May his souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.

Fr Ollie, who was laid to rest in Seattle was predeceased by his brothers Peter, Paddy, Noel, Martin, Brendan, his sisters Sr Maura Duggan OP and Kate Duggan O’Neill. He is survived by his brothers Brendan, Frank, Barry, Martin and Colman, his sisters Eithne, Laurie and Ann, many nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces.