Assignment Record – Rev. John J. Gallen, s.j.

Summary of Case: Rev. John J. Gallen was a Jesuit priest of the New York Province, ordained in 1963. Gallen went on to become an internationally known scholar and author who led seminars around the world on Catholic liturgy and worship. In 1993 a man reported to his then-home diocese of Milwaukee that, when he was a 16-year-old altar boy in 1980 at a Toledo OH parish, Gallen sexually abused him. Gallen was at the parish in March 1980 to lead a week-long retreat. His accuser said Gallen touched him inappropriately and kissed him. The man said that Gallen later got his parents to allow him to help the priest with a move from Phoenix to Sacramento and that, during the trip, Gallen forced him into oral sex. Gallen's accuser said he reported the abuse to two of his parish priests shortly thereafter, but that the priests did not believe him. Gallen sent his accuser letters of apology for his behavior in 1993 and 1994. Gallen could not be prosecuted because the statute of limitations had expired. He died April 17, 2011.

Ordained: 1963
Died: April 17, 2011

1963

Baltimore archbishop was Lawrence Joseph Sheehan (1961-1974).

1964

Gent bishop was Leonce Albert Van Peteghem (1964-1991).

1965

Trier bishop was Matthias Wehr (1951-1966), followed by Bernhard Stein (1967-1980).

1970

New York archbishop was Terence James Cooke (1968-1983).

1977

Ft. Wayne bishop was William Edward McManus (1976-1985).

1979

Phoenix bishop was James Steven Rausch (1977-1981).

Phoenix
• Gallen was accused of sexually abusing a 16 year-old Toledo, OH boy in 1980. Gallen was at the boy's parish, St. Joseph's, to lead a week-long retreat. When he returned home to Phoenix, AZ, Gallen is said to have gotten the boy's parents to agree to send the boy to help Gallen move from Phoenix to Sacramento, CA. His accuser said Gallen forced him into oral sex in a Palm Springs, CA hotel. He said he later told two of his parish priests, who didn't believe him. Gallen apologized to his accuser in a 1993 letter, and again in a 1994 letter.

Gallen is listed in the New York archdiocesan pages as at 5110 N. 32nd St., No. 403, Phoenix, AZ.

St. Joseph's in Toledo's pastor during Gallen's week-long stay in March 1980 was auxilliary bishop James R. Hoffman.

1980

Cooke was succeeded by John Joseph O'Connor (1984-2000).

New York

1984

Phoenix bishop was Thomas Joseph O'Brien (1981-2003).

1990

San Jose bishop was Roland Pierre DuMaine (1981-1999).

The 1993 Directory lists Gallen in the New York archdiocesan pages under the NY Jesuit Provincial's Office as at 1580 Vista Club Dr., Apt. 204, Santa Clara, CA.

In 1993 Galllen's accuser reported the 1980 abuse to the Milwaukee archdiocese, where the accuser was then living. A 1993 Milwaukee memo shows they were going to notify Toledo diocesan officials as well as the Jesuits' New York Province. The Toledo diocese later claimed they had no record of the accusation and that they didn't learn of it until Gallen's accuser contacted them 2002. Gallen could not be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations.

The 1994 and 1995 Directories list Gallen in the New York archdiocesan pages under the NY Jesuit Provincial's Office with no address.

The Jesuits settled with Gallen's accuser in 1994.

1997

Edward Michael Egan replaced O'Connor as New York archbishop (2000-2009).

2007

Timothy Michael Dolan succeeded Egan (2009-).

Murray-Weigel is an infirmary and retirement residence for Jesuits of the New York Province.

Gallen died April 17, 2011.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1964-2012)

• Jesuit Writer Accused of Abusing Local Boy Is Barred from Ministry, By David Yonke, Toledo Blade (Ohio), March 10, 2004
• Another Shameful Revelation, Toledo Blade (Ohio), March 15, 2004
• Diocese ID's 16 Alleged Abusers; Report from Toledo Bishop Omits Lay Workers, Deceased Clerics, By David Yonke , Toledo Blade, Downloaded March 30, 2004
• Diocese of Toledo Status Report, Feb. 17, 2005
• New York Province of the Society of Jesus, Office of the Provincial, April 18, 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 Gallen'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 Feb. 3, 2014