OBITUARY

Rev. James H. Duhaime

Posted

Reverend James H. Duhaime, 85, senior priest of the Diocese of Providence, died Sunday, March 1, 2015, at the Villa at Saint Antoine, North Smithfield.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of the late Albert and Marie L. (Breard) Duhaime, he attended St. Charles School and LaSalle Academy in Providence, and Bryant College in Smithfield.

In preparation for the priesthood, he studied at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, Rhode Island, at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, New York, and at the American College in Louvain, Belgium. He was ordained a priest on June 25, 1961 in Louvain, Belgium by the Most Reverend Thomas F. Maloney.

After a summer assignment at St. Rita Church in Warwick, he served as assistant pastor at St. Leo Church in Pawtucket (1961-62); St. Rita Church in Warwick (1962-1963); St. Francis of Assisi Church in Wakefield (1963-1965); St. Patrick Church in Harrisville (1965-1967); St. Jean Baptiste Church in Warren (1967-1972); and at St. Mary Church in Providence (1972-1977).

In March 1977, Father was appointed pastor of St. Mary Church in West Warwick, but due to health reasons, in April 1984, he resigned as pastor of St. Mary’s and became assistant pastor at St. Mary Church in Pawtucket until 1987. In August 1987, he served as assistant pastor at Precious Blood Church in Woonsocket; then from June 1996-June 1997, assistant pastor at Holy Family Church in Woonsocket; and in June 1997, became assistant pastor at St. James Church in West Warwick. In July 2000, Father Duhaime retired as a senior priest of the Diocese of Providence. Later, from February until May 2001, he served as administrator pro tem at St. Anthony Church in Providence, and helped out in various parishes.

Father Duhaime is survived by two brothers, Gilbert E. Duhaime and Joseph F. “Fran” Duhaime both of North Scituate, and a sister Marie Toppi of Greenville. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews and was the brother of the late Albert A. Duhaime.

A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 10 at St. Joseph Church, North Scituate, with Bishop Thomas J. Tobin as the main celebrant and Bishop Louis E. Gelineau and other priests concelebrating. Rev. Roger Houle, pastor of St. Joseph, was the homilist. Burial was in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.