Church Catholic Church Ordination December 18, 1960 | Name Victor Galeone See St. Augustine Consecration August 21, 2001 | |
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In office August 21, 2001—April 27, 2011 Predecessor Bishop John Joseph Snyder Born September 13, 1935 (age 88)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ( 1935-09-13 ) Education Loyola University Maryland | ||
Successor Felipe de Jesus Estevez | ||
Victor Benito Galeone (born 1935) is the Bishop Emeritus of St. Augustine, Florida. He was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of St. Augustine on August 21, 2001, and retired on April 27, 2011. He was succeeded as Bishop of St. Augustine by Auxiliary Bishop Felipe de Jesús Estévez 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.
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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, Baltimore.
Education
In 1949, he entered the minor seminary of St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland. 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.
Pastoral work
On his return to the United States in 1961, he served as an associate pastor in several parishes of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. 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 Pope named him a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor).
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 Snyder retired in December 2000 upon reaching the usual retirement age of 75. He was consecrated on August 21, 2001 in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. Archbishop John C. Favalora served as the principal consecrator with Bishop Snyder and Bishop W. Francis Malooly serving as the principal co-consecrators. His episcopal motto is "Love, Joy, Peace."
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.
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.