Fr. Patrick Griffin to step down as Director-General of the Daughters of Charity

            Fr. G. Gregory Gay, C.M. Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, announced that, due to health concerns, Fr. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M. will step down as the Director General of the Daughters of Charity. This position is based in Paris.

In a letter to the Daughters of Charity and signed by both Frs. Gay and Griffin, they said, “We have come to this unwelcome conclusion only after much discussion and prayerful reflection. It is based solely on Fr. Patrick’s health situation. He has been attentive to a heart condition which has raised greater concern in the last six months. His doctors are recommending a program of care and lifestyle which make carrying out the responsibilities of Director General difficult and incomplete.”

The letter acknowledged the difficulty the decision to step down presented for Fr. Griffin, noting, “Patrick and I have spoken about our love for the Company and our desire to serve them and our beloved poor in the best way. Both of us recognize that this goal is not possible in Patrick’s role as the Director General because of his doctors’ advices. Acceptance of the sometimes mysterious will of God, as reflected in the circumstances of our life, brings us to this point.”

Fr. Gay expressed gratitude for the years of service Fr. Griffin has provided as Director-General of the Daughters of Charity since his appointment in 2010. He expressed hope that his future ministry will continue to be rewarding. “I am sure that I speak for all of us when I thank him for his service and offer him our continued prayerful support. Thankfully, Fr. Patrick will be able to carry out another ministry with different responsibilities in his Province and for the Congregation.”

Fr. Patrick Griffin, a native of Brooklyn, NY, is a member of the Eastern Province, USA and was ordained in 1979. He studied at the Catholic University of America, where he earned a doctorate in Sacred Scripture. He has spent his 35 years in priesthood as an educator, working as a seminary professor and formator and in higher education as an administrator and teacher. He has also organized ongoing education programs for diocesan clergy and given retreats for the Daughters of Charity. Before being named the Director General and moving to Paris, Fr. Griffin served as Executive Vice President for Mission at St. John’s University in Queens, NY