Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Duffy, Paul Joseph

Preacher, writer, lecturer; born Melbourne, 8 April 1931; died Melbourne, 4 June 2013, aged 82.

In his homily for the Vigil Mass for Paul Duffy, Christopher Gleeson described Duffy’s life as a ‘powerful ministry of the word’, in both speech and writing.

After secondary education at St Patrick’s College, East Melbourne, Duffy entered the Jesuit noviciate at Loyola, Watsonia, on 1 February 1951. It was here that he also completed a year of rhetoric in 1953, and philosophy studies, 1954-1956. Regency followed at St Louis School, Perth, where he taught English and history, and was first division prefect, coached sport and was debating master. Because of straitened financial circumstances at the time, the scholastics worked very hard, practically running the school. Duffy’s devotion to his students was exemplary, and he was reputed to be an excellent English master. Fifty years later, his former students flew him to Perth for a celebratory dinner in 2009.

Academic studies were at the University of Melbourne from Campion College, Kew, 1960-64, where he majored for an arts degree in political science, and upon graduation tutored in this subject at the university and at Newman College. During these years he was a self appointed mentor to the younger scholastics, and frequently reflected upon the seriousness of social and political questions. He took his role as beadle most responsibly.

Theology at Canisius College, Pymble, followed, 1965-68, with priestly ordination taking place on 9 December 1967, seventeen years after his entrance into the Society, a record unbroken in the province to this day. Also during these years, he lectured in political science at the University of Sydney, and completed an MA thesis from the University of Melbourne in 1967, entitled ‘Catholic Judgments on the Australian Labor Party dispute, 1954-1961’, a work of over 450 pages. He was also occupied in speaking and writing in defense of unborn human life, as well as serving the bishops of Australia in the area of media and social communication. He published a monograph on The Politics of Abortion, 1972, which was a clear presentation of the Catholic position, and widely accepted. Other works included, Justice In Australia, 1973, Australian Politics, 1966, and The Shape of Things to Come, in 1972.

For two years, 1969-70, he lectured at the University of Sydney, and then completed tertianship at St Beuno’s, Wales, 1971-72. He returned to Australia and Canberra at the Jesuit house of writers, where he engaged in research and pastoral activities for five years.

Socius to the provincial followed in June 1977, where he was experienced as very efficient. ‘He had a certain style and graciousness about him that inspired confidence in those he dealt with’. Such was this confidence that he was appointed provincial in February 1979. Brendan Byrne, a province consultor at the time, said in his homily at the funeral Mass, that ‘he discharged the responsibilities of this office faithfully, though at considerable personal cost.’ Christopher Gleeson, his first socius, observed that while Duffy’s written word was ever ‘full of discipline and clarity, his spoken word erred on the side of excess’. He was seen as a great worrier, about people and issues, talking at great length, trying always to ‘reach the best decisions for individuals’. Some of Duffy’s words trickled into province folklore, such as an issue being expressed in somewhat conspiratorial tone as ‘pretty crucial’, always with a characteristic grimace that provided excellent fuel for the mimics in the community. He also spoke about the need to ‘move the goal posts’, and when particularly frustrated, averred that ‘we need to take the heavy roller’ to that person. But there was a gap between the words and action. He was most caring about people, and action of a disciplinary kind rarely followed.

During Duffy’s years as provincial, decision-making became more difficult, coinciding with periods of depression, especially after he was traumatised by being present during a robbery in a local bank. Province administration during later years was greatly facilitated by his socius, Adrian Lyons, and Peter Steele as provincial at times.

The 32rd General Congregation affirmed the importance of faith and the promotion of justice. Duffy was undoubtedly committed to these values. However, among some of the younger Jesuits perspectives and lines of action were advocated differing from those that Duffy had inherited during his years of association with the Institute of Social Order at Belloc House and with Bob Santamaria and the Movement. This resulted in uneasy relationships between Duffy and some scholastics, ‘who shared less politically conservative and less institutionally based aspirations’. Byrne continued to reflect on Duffy’s innate courtesy and sense of decorum, which meant that ‘he found conflict difficult to handle and not infrequently resorted to avoidance or to the flow of discourse that was hard to stop or get through.’ ‘His personal reserve and deep sense of confidentially meant that he carried very much alone the burdens of office.’ However, important new initiatives were undertaken under his care. The Jesuit Refugee Service began in 1983, and the province assumed responsibility for the Pakistan mission in 1984.

Finishing his term as provincial, Duffy confided in Byrne that he was so exhausted that ‘for a whole year he could not bring himself to write a letter’. Believing that he was not appreciated by the province, he ‘took himself somewhat to the margins of our ministries and communities.’ After a sabbatical in USA during 1985, he become an advisor in social communication to the Australian bishops, lectured in socio-political theory at UFT, 1989-95, and was secretary to JESCOMEA, 1990-91. From 1995 to mid 1997 he was executive director at the Centre for the Study of Communication and Culture, St Louis, USA. Following this, and living at Xavier College, he devoted himself to pastoral pursuits, notably at East Keilor and Black Rock.

Duffy moved to the Hawthorn parish in 2001 ‘where he lived what was to be the last decade of his life in growing peace and contentment.’ In these years of his pastoral ministry, Duffy was appreciated for his crisply delivered, ‘carefully crafted, theologically informed and compact Sunday homily’. His ‘Prayers of the Faithful’ written for the Hawthorn parish weekly were so popular that they were shared with other parishes around Australia. He also produced an illustrated history of the parish of Hawthorn that was a fine contribution to the province history.

He was a valued member of the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and was on the Executive Committee of the Council of Christians and Jews, inherited from his mentor, Father Bill Smith, which gave him great satisfaction and brought him into contact with leading figures of the Jewish and wider Christian traditions. Duffy’s editing skills resulted in the publication of documents designed to create better understanding of Jews and Judaism.

The Jesuit community at Hawthorn was a great support to Duffy, affirming him and encouraging him to become involved in parish life to the degree that he felt capable. He was consoled especially by the freedom he experienced in communicating with the women around him: especially his sister Norma, Lady Jan Murray, and ladies of the parish staff.

He died suddenly, kneeling uprightly by his bed, looking at and apparently sorting for reply, a number of letters of condolence on the recent death of his sister Norma. Despite being a most eloquent communicator in word or print, and a great raconteur, Duffy was a very private person, who suffered feelings of rejection, yet communicated a deep faith and fidelity to the Church and Society. He was highly thought of in the wider Church, clearly expressed by being at one time suggested for a bishopric. Very few Australian Jesuits are known to have had that consideration. In Duffy the province lost a courteous, cultured, kind, thoughtful, gentle man who was more highly appreciated by others than he thought of himself.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)