Posted May 28, 2019

Bishop Joseph A. Galante, retired bishop of the Camden Diocese and a former Philadelphia priest, died Saturday, May 25. He was 80 years old.

Joseph Galante was born in Philadelphia and ordained a priest by Archbishop John J. Krol on May 16, 1964. He attended Lateran University in Rome, where he received his doctorate in canon law in 1968, and the University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome, where he received his master’s degree in spiritual theology in 1991.

He served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia until he was named by Pope John Paul II in December 1986 to be undersecretary of the Congregation for Religious in Rome. He was a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Communications.

In October 1992 he was named auxiliary bishop of San Antonio, Texas. Eighteen months later he was installed as bishop of Beaumont, Texas, and went on to become Coadjutor Bishop of Dallas in January 2000.

[hotblock]

Bishop Galante was installed as seventh bishop of the Diocese of Camden on April 30, 2004. For health reasons, he retired on Jan. 8, 2013 as bishop emeritus of the diocese.

The Rite of Reception of Bishop Galante’s body will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, May 31 at St. Agnes Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish, 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood, N.J. The viewing will take place immediately following the reception of the body, to be held during three time periods at St. Agnes Church: Friday, May 31 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.; Saturday, June 1 from 9-10:30 a.m.

The funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1 at St. Agnes Church.

Following the Mass, Bishop Galante will be buried at St. Dominic Church Cemetery, 8504 Frankford Avenue in the Torresdale section of Philadelphia. The burial is private.

Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan, current bishop of Camden, announced in a statement his predecessor’s passing and asked people to “pray for his eternal rest in peace.” Bishop Sullivan added his own prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”