William Mark Duke

infobox bishopstyles
name=William Duke
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=none |

William Mark Duke (October 7, 1879—August 31, 1971) was a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Vancouver from 1931 to 1964.

Born in St. John, New Brunswick, William Duke was ordained to the priesthood at age 23 on June 29, 1903. He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Vancouver and Titular Bishop of "Phasis" by Pope Pius XI on August 10, 1928. He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 18 from Archbishop Timothy Casey.

Duke later succeeded the late Archbishop Casey as full Archbishop of Vancouver on October 5, 1931. He attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. The Archbishop was a "strict disciplinarian" [Archdiocese of Vancouver. [http://www.rcav.org/About/Former_Bishops/index.htm Former Bishops] ] , and was also known as the "Iron Duke" [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779962,00.html Icebergs & Cattle] September 6, 1948] . He was opposed to Sunday picnics, dances, alcohol, and Marxism, and once said of bathing beauty contests, "It lowers the dignity and esteem due to women to parade them and measure them ... like cattle." [Ibid.] However, Duke was dedicated to vocations, establishing parishes and parochial schools. He founded St. Mark's College, a Catholic Theological College in affiliation with the University of British Columbia, and Notre Dame Regional Secondary School, a Catholic high school for eastside Vancouver & Burnaby.

He retired as Vancouver's archbishop on March 11, 1964, after thirty-two years of service. Upon his retirement, Duke was appointed Titular Archbishop of "Seleucia in Isauria". He died seven years later, at age 91.

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bduke.html Catholic-Hierarchy]