Rev. John J. Gallagher, o.s.a.

Summary of Case: A priest of the Augustinian order, Gallagher was named in a 2005 lawsuit as having sexually abusing a girl at a Lawrence, MA parish between 1972-1978.

Ordained: 1945

Died: Dec. 12, 2006

     

Start Stop Parish Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1945

Baltimore-Washington archbishop was Michael Joseph Curley (1921-1947). The diocese split in 1947. Washington D.C.archbishop was Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle (1947-1973)

1948 Augustinian College Brookland Washington D.C. This was the motherhouse of the Augustinian Order in the United States.

1948

Philadelphia archbishop was Dennis Joseph Dougherty (1918-1951)

1951 Augustinian Monastery Villanova PA    

1951

Dougherty was succeeded by John Francis O'Hara, C.S.C. (1951-1960)

1953 Villanova College Villanova PA Board of Student Counsellors  
1953 1956 Archbishop Prendergast High School for Boys Drexel Hill PA 6/12, 6/19, 7/23 School had 600-
1, 610 students.

1956

New York Archbishop was Francis Joseph Spellman (1939-1967)

1965 St. Nicholas of Tolentine New York NY 5/8, 9/11, 9/12, 10/14, 7/18

Parish had a grade school with 503-820 boys and 715-814 girls, and a high school with 228-303 boys and 314-373 girls.

The 1963 Directory indexes but does not list Gallagher in the New York archdiocesan pages as at St. Nicholas of Tolentine.

1956 1958 Sisters of St. Dominic Convent New York NY   This was a chapel of St. Nicholas of Tolentine in New York.
1956 1958 Christian Brothers New York NY    
1958 1965 Our Mother of Good Counsel Convent New York NY    
1963 1965 Convent of St. Nicholas of Tolentine New York NY    
1963 1965 St. Nicholas of Tolentine Chapel New York NY    

1965

Philadelphia archbishop was John Joseph Krol (1961-1988)

1966 Monsignor Bonner High School Drexel PA    

1966

Miami bishop/archbishop was Coleman Francis Carroll (1958-1977)

1968 Biscayne College (Men) Miami FL 6/11, 5/13 College had 333-360 students.

1968

Boston archbishop was Richard James Cushing (1944-1970)

1970 Merrimack College North Andover MA 24/24 The 1970 Directory indexes but does not list Gallagher as at Merrimack College.

1970

Albany bishop was Edwin Bernard Broderick (1969-1976)

1971 Immaculate Conception

Hoosick Falls NY 2/3 Parish had a grade school with 235 students, and a high school with 135 students.

1971

Boston archbishop was Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983)

1979 St. Mary's

Lawrence

• Gallagher was accused in a 2005 lawsuit of having sexually abused a girl at this parish between 1972-1978.

MA 6/7, 5/7, 6/8, 6/9 Parish had a grade school with 315-208 students, and a high school with 604-457 girls.
1971 1979 Immaculate Conception Lawrence MA   This was a mission of St. Mary's.
1971 1976 SS. Peter and Paul (Portuguese) Lawrence MA   This was a mission of St. Mary's.
1979 1986         Gallagher is not indexed in the 1980 through 1986 Directories.

1986

Krol was replaced as Philadelphia archbishop by Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (1987-2003), followed by Justin Francis Rigali (2003-2011).

2006 St. Thomas Monastery Villanova PA   Gallagher died Dec. 12, 2006

 

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1946-2006)

• http://www.bishop-accountability.org/complaints/2007_12_31_Boston_John_Doe_30_68_Complaint_RR.pdf
• Letter to Dr. Mary Jane Doherty, Chairperson of the Archdiocese of Boston Review Board, July 27, 2011
• Mass. Group Discloses New Names of Accused Priests, By Jay Lindsay, Boston Globe, July 28, 2011



Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Gallagher's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on Aug. 26, 2011