Victor Galeone
Encyclopedia
Victor Benito Galeone is the Bishop Emeritus of St. Augustine, Florida
. He was ordained and installed as the ninth Bishop of St. Augustine on August 21, 2001, and retired on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. He was succeeded as Bishop of St. Augustine by Auxiliary Bishop Felipe de Jesus Estevez
of the Archdiocese of Miami, whose appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
was announced the same day by Archbishop Pietro Sambi
, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. church.
.
. He also attended St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and the Pontifical North American College
at the Gregorian University in Rome
.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Martin J. O’Connor in the chapel of the North American College in Rome on Dec. 18, 1960. He received his licentiate degree in Sacred Theology from Gregorian University in 1961 and a master’s degree in Education from Loyola College
in Baltimore in 1969.
. He was later a teacher and principal at St. Paul Latin High School where he served from 1962-1969.
Bishop Galeone served two periods as a missionary priest in Peru
under the auspices of the Society of St. James the Apostle from 1970–1975 and again from 1978-1985. Upon returning to the United States, he served as pastor in several parishes in the Baltimore area. From 1989 to 1996, Bishop Galeone served as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Baltimore. In 1996, Cardinal William H. Keeler
appointed him pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Catonsville, his final assignment with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In December, 1995, the Holy Father named him a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor
).
retired in December 2000 upon reaching the usual retirement age of 75.
He was ordained and installed as Bishop August 21, 2001 in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
. Archbishop John C. Favalora served as the Principal Consecrator
with Bishop Snyder and Bishop William F. Malooly serving as Principal Co-Consecrators.
Bishop Galeone is arguably one of the most outspoken orthodox
bishops in the country. He has, on several occasions, strongly condemned birth control
and politicians who support abortion
.
Bishop Galeone's episcopal motto is Love, Joy, Peace.
Galeone's resignation was formally accepted by Pope Benedict XVI
on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. He was succeeded by Felipe de Jesus Estevez
, in June 2011.
Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine is a diocese of the Catholic Church's Latin Church in the U.S. state of Florida. Part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami, it covers much of North Florida, including the cities of St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Gainesville. The bishop's seat is the...
. He was ordained and installed as the ninth Bishop of St. Augustine on August 21, 2001, and retired on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. He was succeeded as Bishop of St. Augustine by Auxiliary Bishop Felipe de Jesus Estevez
Felipe de Jesús Estévez
Felipe de Jesús Estévez is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida beginning Tuesday, June 1, 2011. He was formerly the Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.-Early life:...
of the Archdiocese of Miami, whose appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
was announced the same day by Archbishop Pietro Sambi
Pietro Sambi
Pietro Sambi was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who served in the Vatican's Secretariat of State. At the time of his death, he was the Titular Archbishop of Bellicastrum and the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States....
, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. church.
Early life and family
Bishop Galeone is the son of Angelo and Rita Galeone. He was born in Philadelphia, PA on Sept. 13, 1935, the fourth of five children. His family moved to Baltimore, MD in 1941. There he attended St. Elizabeth of Hungary School in Highlandtown, BaltimoreHighlandtown, Baltimore
Highlandtown is a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States.The area currently known as Highlandtown was established in 1866 when the area known as "Snake Hill" was established as a village outside of the Baltimore city limits. The first settlers of the community were primarily Greek...
.
Education
In 1949, he entered the minor seminary of St. Charles College in Catonsville, MarylandCatonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
. He also attended St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
at the Gregorian University in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Martin J. O’Connor in the chapel of the North American College in Rome on Dec. 18, 1960. He received his licentiate degree in Sacred Theology from Gregorian University in 1961 and a master’s degree in Education from Loyola College
Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...
in Baltimore in 1969.
Pastoral work
On his return to the United States in 1961, he served as an associate pastor in several parishes of the Archdiocese of BaltimoreRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...
. He was later a teacher and principal at St. Paul Latin High School where he served from 1962-1969.
Bishop Galeone served two periods as a missionary priest in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
under the auspices of the Society of St. James the Apostle from 1970–1975 and again from 1978-1985. Upon returning to the United States, he served as pastor in several parishes in the Baltimore area. From 1989 to 1996, Bishop Galeone served as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Baltimore. In 1996, Cardinal William H. Keeler
William Henry Keeler
William Henry Keeler is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Baltimore from 1989 to 2007 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1994....
appointed him pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Catonsville, his final assignment with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In December, 1995, the Holy Father named him a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
).
Episcopacy
On June 26, 2001, Pope John-Paul II appointed Monsignor Galeone Bishop of St. Augustine Florida to fill the vacancy left when Bishop John SnyderJohn J. Snyder
John J. Snyder was the eighth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine.-Early life and education:John Snyder was born in New York City on October 25, 1925 to John Joseph and Katherine Walsh Snyder. He attended St. Bartholomew and St...
retired in December 2000 upon reaching the usual retirement age of 75.
He was ordained and installed as Bishop August 21, 2001 in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is a historic cathedral in St. Augustine, Florida and the seat of the Catholic Bishop of St. Augustine. It is located at Cathedral Street between Charlotte and St. George Streets. Constructed over five years , it was designated a U.S...
. Archbishop John C. Favalora served as the Principal Consecrator
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
with Bishop Snyder and Bishop William F. Malooly serving as Principal Co-Consecrators.
Bishop Galeone is arguably one of the most outspoken orthodox
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
bishops in the country. He has, on several occasions, strongly condemned birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
and politicians who support abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Bishop Galeone's episcopal motto is Love, Joy, Peace.
Galeone's resignation was formally accepted by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. He was succeeded by Felipe de Jesus Estevez
Felipe de Jesús Estévez
Felipe de Jesús Estévez is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida beginning Tuesday, June 1, 2011. He was formerly the Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.-Early life:...
, in June 2011.