Early life Lucia was born on March 17, 1963, in
Plattsburgh, New York, to Leward and Betty (Pepin) Lucia. After deciding to become a priest, Lucia entered Wadhams Hall Seminary College in
Ogdensburg, New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. He continued his priestly formation at Christ the King Seminary in
East Aurora, New York, receiving a
Master of Divinity degree in 1989. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Lucia as parochial vicar at the following parishes: • St. Patrick's in
Watertown, New York (1989 to 1990) • St. Columban's in
Cornwall, Ontario, in the
Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall (1990 to 1992) • St. John the Baptist in
Plattsburgh, New York (1992 to 1995) • St. Mary's Cathedral (1995 to 1997). He was also named as assistant secretary to the marriage tribunal in 1995. After Lucia came back to Ogdensburg in 1999, Brzana named him adjutant judicial vicar and vice chancellor of the diocese. He also became administrator of St. Raphael's Parish in Heuvelton, New York, and worked part-time as a chaplain at the
Gouverneur Correctional Facility in Gouverneur, New York. Bishop
Robert J. Cunningham named Lucia as chancellor in 2004, along with episcopal vicar for diocesan services. In June 2020, Lucia announced that the diocese would file for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was facing more than 100 alleged victims of
sexual abuse. Lucia stated that he wanted to ensure that all the alleged victims received some compensation, rather than a few receiving the majority of the compensation before the later victims were able to have their chance, although one lawyer, Jeff Anderson (whose law firm would stand to gain the most financially by continued individual legislation), said that the diocese was seeking to avoid the lawsuits. In July 2021, Lucia indicated that he would request that the Vatican repudiate the
Doctrine of Discovery, a series of
papal bulls from the 15th century that legitimized the subjugation of indigenous populations in the Americas by Catholic European powers. In March 2023, the
Dicastery for Culture and Education and the
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development formally repudiated the doctrine. ==References==