Scott Schaeffer-Duffy holds a BA in religious studies from Holy Cross College, Worcester.He is married to Claire Schaeffer-Duffy. They have four children and six grandchildren. They met at Catholic Worker communities in Washington, DC, where they were married in 1984. In 1986, they helped found the Saints Francis and Thérèse Catholic Worker house of hospitality for homeless men and women in Worcester, Massachusetts, where they continue to live and work.