Father Elphege Duggan, honorary Canon of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, died on Sunday, December 18th, 1921, after a short illness, or rather after an intensification of the ill-health which he had endured for many years. He had kept to his work almost to the last, and only retired to his room on the Thursday before his death.
Father Elphege was born in Liverpool on October 20th, 1857, and after a few years at St Francis Xavier's School came to Ampleforth in 1871. He received the religious habit at Belmont in 1877, and after the usual four years course there he returned to Ampleforth. He was ordained here by Bishop Lacy on May 23rd, 1885, and taught in the school for four more years. In 1889 he was appointed to mission work and served as assistant priest at Ormskirk, Cleator, St Mary's, Warrington, and St Anne's, Liverpool. In 1903 he was appointed head priest at the Church of Our Lady and St Michael, Workington, and after two years there was transferred to the charge of St Mary's, Cardiff, which he held until his death.
Of the tangible products of his work the chief is the beautiful church which he built at Cardiff, the devoutness, good taste, practical convenience of design and the efficient equipment of which reflect the character of its builder. His directly spiritual work was done with the same methodical careful attentiveness to details which, combined with ability rather above the average, brought success to his material administration. Thus, though he produced few fireworks, he lasted well; his sermons were always solid and thorough, the demands for his guidance and direction were heavy and increased, he won converts in exceptionally great numbers and spared neither time nor trouble in his care of them. He was a man of many and diverse friends, for he had a talent - it almost amounted to genius - for adapting himself to any society and turning slight acquaintances into helpers; men recognised that the plans which he described so alluringly could safely be assisted since good sense and carefulness underlay his enthusiasm.
He was chosen to be a Canon of the Diocese of Newport in 1914, and when the secular priests replaced the Benedictines in the Chapter and the See was transferred to Cardiff he was made an honorary Canon by special authority of the Holy See. He was buried at Cardiff close to the grave of Bishop Hedley, the Archbishop of Cardiff preaching at his funeral. May he rest in peace.
MICHAEL ELPHEGE DUGGAN 18 December 1921
1857 20 Oct Born Liverpool
1871-77 Educ Ampleforth
1877 5 Sep Clothed Belmont
1878 6 Sep Simple Vows
1879 22 Jun Minor Orders
1882 10 Feb Solemn Vows Ampleforth
4 Mar Ordained to Subdiaconate
1884 23 Mar Diaconate
1885 23 May Priesthood
1889 Apr Assistant priest at Ormskirk
Oct Cleator
1891 May St Mary's Warrington
1897 Oct St Anne's Liverpool
1903 Feb Appointed Head Priest of the Church of Our Lady & St Michael Workington
1905 May Head Priest of St Mary's Canton Cardiff
This position he held until his death
1914 Became Canon of Newport
1920 When the chapter ceased to be Benedictine he was made Honorary Canon
1921 18 Dec Died at Cardiff & was buried there