For 20 years, Monsignor William Duncan has been a steady presence in the diocesan chancery office, faithfully serving under four bishops – Bishop Robert Rose, Bishop Kevin Britt, Bishop Walter Hurley and now Bishop David Walkowiak as vicar general and moderator of the curia.
What does the role of vicar general-moderator of the curia involve?
His main responsibility in this role is to be supportive of the bishop, working behind the scenes on many of the bishop’s administrative tasks and helping to advance the bishop’s priorities and values in the leadership of the diocese.
The vicar general also often serves as moderator of the curia, also known as the diocesan offices. The curia consists of the institutions and people that help the bishop in the governance of the whole diocese, especially in guiding pastoral ministry, in caring for the administration of the diocese, and in exercising judicial power as directed in canon 469 of the Code of Canon Law. The moderator of the curia, under the authority of the bishop, oversees the curia offices and assists the bishop in coordinating the activity of its members.
About Monsignor Duncan
Monsignor Duncan was ordained to the priesthood in 1990. He earned a licentiate in canon law (J.C.L.) in 2002 and became vicar general-moderator of the curia in May that year under Bishop Rose. He has served the diocese in a variety of roles both as pastor and administrator, most recently as pastor of St. Sebastian Parish in Byron Center since 2007. In December 2011, he was conferred a Prelate of Honor to His Holiness, a papal honor from Pope Benedict XVI in recognition of his service to the Church.
St. Sebastian parishioner and diocesan seminarian, Nicholas Baker, says that it was Monsignor Duncan who inspired him to consider a vocation to the priesthood, and describes him as “a man of deep prayer” who “radiates a contagious joy in knowing Jesus Christ.”
In an interview with Aquinas College in 2014, Monsignor Duncan shared, “It’s a privilege to be a part of peoples’ lives at some very important moments between birth and death. Those special spiritual moments as people move along their faith journey. It’s a blessing to be with people and help them reach a deeper understanding of their relationship with Christ in the Church.”
Thank you, Monsignor Duncan, for your many years of dedicated service to our diocese and its bishops!
