Francis X. Gallogly, O.S.A.

1935 – 2017 (July 7)

Francis Xavier Gallogly was born on February 19, 1935, in New York, New York, one of two sons of Patrick Gallogly and Mary Charles. He was baptized in Saint Pius Church, Bronx, New York on March 17, 1935, and received his primary education at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish School. He was then educated by the Marist Brothers at Saint Ann’s Academy, Manhattan, from 1948 to 1951, and at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, where he received his BA degree in 1956. From 1951 to 1953 he was a novice at the Marist Novitiate, Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, where he completed his secondary education and entered the Marist Brothers with the name Brother Stephen Joachim, FMS. He taught at Mount Saint Michael Academy, New York, New York, from 1956 to 1958, and then left the Marists with a strong desire to become a priest in a religious community. He taught at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine High School, Bronx, New York, the following year. Frank entered our Order as a novice on September 9, 1959 at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, and professed simple vows on September 10, 1960, and solemn vows on September 10, 1963. In 1960, he attended Villanova University, and completed his philosophical studies in 1961. He pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, DC, from 1961 to 1965, and obtained an MA in religious education. He also received an MA in English Literature from Villanova University in 1965, and did graduate studies at Fordham University, the Bronx. He was ordained to the priesthood at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Church, the Bronx, on January 30, 1965, by Bishop John Maguire.

Father Frank was assigned to teach at Austin Preparatory School, Reading, Massachusetts, in 1965. The following year he was assigned to Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1974. He served in parish ministry at Assumption/Saint Paul Parish, Mechanicville, New York, from 1974 until 1977, at Immaculate Conception Parish, Hoosick Falls, New York, from 1977 until 1982, and at Saint Augustine Parish, Troy, New York, from 1982 until 1983. He was then assigned for one year to Saint Mary-Immaculate Conception Parish, Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 1984 he became Associate Director of Graduate Studies at Biscayne College, Miami, Florida. He returned to parochial ministry at Saint Augustine Parish, Andover, Massachusetts, in 1988, and in 1991 was assigned to Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts, and served as associate pastor at Immaculate Conception Church, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. From 1994 to 1997, he served again at Assumption/Saint Paul Parish, Mechanicville. From 1997 to 2000, he was transferred to Cassiciacum Friary, New Rochelle, New York, and served as an associate pastor at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Manhattan. From 2000 to 2002, he served at Saint Katharine Drexel Parish, Cape Coral, Florida, after which he was assigned to Saint Augustine Friary, Villanova, Pennsylvania, and was chaplain at Villa Saint Joseph, Flourtown, Pennsylvania. For health reasons, in 2005, he was assigned to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, Pennsylvania. For the last several years of his life, Father Gallogly was a resident of Arden Courts, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, where he died in the early morning of July 7, 2017. 

Father Frank Gallogly was a consummate educator, having honed his skills through his formative years with the Marist Brothers, toward whom he always held a grateful and reverent respect. His years as an Augustinian allowed him to combine these with yet other talents both in the classroom and in pastoral ministry. His Funeral Mass was celebrated at Saint Thomas of Villanova Church on July 13th by Prior Provincial Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., with Father Francis Chambers, O.S.A. as homilist. Burial was in Assumption/Saint Paul Cemetery, Mechanicville, New York.

John J. Gavigan, O.S.A.

1913 – 1994 (July 7)

John Joseph Gavigan was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on August 23, 1913, to John Gavigan and Mary Cahill. He was baptized at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Church in Atlantic City, and attended the parish school, graduating in 1926. That same year, at the age of thirteen, he applied to the Order as a postulant and attended Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. He entered the novitiate in 1930 New Hamburg, New York, and professed simple vows on September 12, 1931. Three years later he professed solemn vows at Saint Mary's Hall. John graduated from Villanova College with an A.B. in philosophy and began his studies in theology at Augustinian College in Washington, DC. On June 7, 1938, he was ordained to the priesthood. While studying theology, he took graduate courses in Greek language and literature at the Catholic University of America and in 1939 was granted a master's degree.

Father Gavigan's first assignment was to Villanova College as an instructor in the Classics. At the same time he pursued a doctorate in classical languages at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving his degree in 1943. In 1947, he became one of the first faculty members of newly founded Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. During the summer months he took further courses at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. In 1947, he was assigned to the Universidad de Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Havana, Cuba as an instructor and administrator. In 1955, Father Gavigan was sent to the Order's International College, Saint Monica, Rome, as an instructor in church history. While teaching, he earned a doctorate in church history from the Gregorian University in 1960. From 1966 to 1969, he was professor of Patrology, Church History and Christian archeology at the Lateran University. While stationed in Rome, Father John was the English editor of Acta Ordinis and director of the review, Augustinianum. In 1969, he was transferred to the Austrian Vicariate and was assigned to Saint Augustine Church in Vienna. While stationed at this church, once a chapel of the Hapsburg Family, he was able to accomplish much of the research for his works on the history of the Order. In 1975, Father Gavigan returned to the United States and was assigned to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, and served as chaplain to the Mercy Sisters of McCauley Convent, Merion, Pennsylvania. In 1982, he was appointed assistant pastor of Saint Thomas of Villanova Church in Rosemont, and in 1986, returned to Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. Though he was seventy-three years of age, he was soon teaching a full course in classical and modern languages. In 1991, Father returned to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, where, after a brief illness, he died on July 7, 1994 in Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Father Gavigan was a world-known scholar in the Classics and Church History. He was fluent in several languages, wrote numerous articles as well as six books, When asked why he did not retire from teaching, he replied that he wanted to give something in return for the good health God had given him. At the time of his death, he was eighty-one years of age. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 11 at Saint Thomas of Villanova Church with Father John Deegan, O.S.A., prior provincial, as celebrant and Father George Lawless, O.S.A., as homilist Interment was in the Augustinian plot of Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Joseph X. O’Connor, O.S.A.

1928 – 2017 (June 19)

Joseph Xavier O’Connor was born on May 26, 1928, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of John E. O’Connor and Elizabeth O’Connor. He had two brothers and five sisters, and was baptized on June 4, 1928, at Saint Mary’s Church, Lawrence. He attended Saint Laurence O’Toole Parish School and Central Catholic High School, Lawrence. He was accepted as a postulant at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island and entered the Order on September 9, 1946. Following a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, he professed simple vows on September 10, 1947, and attended Villanova College from 1947 to 1950, where he received his BA in Philosophy. He pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, DC, and obtained an MA in Religious Education at the Catholic University of America. He professed solemn vows on September 10, 1950 and was ordained to the priesthood at Augustinian College on December 21, 1953, by Archbishop Patrick O’Boyle.

Father O’Connor was assigned in 1954 to Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C. He volunteered for the recently-founded mission in Japan and sailed on September 6, 1958.  From 1958 to 1960, he was assigned to Our Mother of Consolation Friary, Nagasaki, while attending Japanese Language School in Tokyo. From 1960 to 1963 he ministered in the Nagasaki parish, and in 1963 was assigned to the parish of Saint Augustine, Fukuoka, as pastor and superior, as well as novice master for Brother Joseph Akakura. During his years in Japan, Father O’Connor served as a judge in the beatification process of Father Maximilian Kolbe.

In 1974, Father O’Connor returned to the United States and to Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he served at Saint Mary Parish and, from August to December 1977, as Administrator of Saint Augustine Parish. From 1977 to 1988, he was assigned to Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, Dania, Florida, as pastor from 1978 to 1986. In 1988 he returned to Saint Augustine Parish, Lawrence. In the summer of 1988 he participated in Clinical Pastoral Education for hospital chaplaincy. From 1990 to 1991 he was pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Hoosick Falls, New York, and in that latter year was assigned to Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Atlantic City, New Jersey, the last Augustinian pastor of that parish. From 1996 to 2007, Father was stationed at Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack College, and then at Austin House, North Andover, Massachusetts. In 2007 he was assigned to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Staten Island, New York and served there until 2010. In April 2010, Father Joe was assigned to Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery, Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Father O’Connor died on Monday morning, June 19, 2017, at Bryn Mawr Hospital after several hours of recovery there. Up until the very end of his life he maintained a quick wit and delighted in entertaining friars and nursing staff of the monastery with his poetry and singing. Despite suffering the effects of limited dementia, he preserved a good memory at 90 years of age, together with a refreshing sense of humor.

A Memorial Mass was offered by Prior Provincial Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A. at the Villanova Monastery Chapel on the evening of June 21, 2017. The following day, his body was taken to Lawrence, Massachusetts where a wake and Funeral Mass were offered at Saint Mary’s Church on Friday, June 23, 2017. Burial followed in the Augustinian Plot of Saint Mary’s Cemetery.