Bishop Joseph A. Galante, 80, bishop emeritus of Camden, N.J., and who served as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Dallas from 2000 to 2004, died May 25.
The Diocese of Camden announced that the Rite of Reception of Bishop Galante’s body will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 31 at Saint Agnes Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish, at 701 Little Gloucester Rd., Blackwood, N.J.
The viewing will take place immediately following the reception of the body, to be held during three time periods at Saint Agnes Church: Friday, May 31, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, May 31, from 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, June 1 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.The celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 1 at Saint Agnes Church.
Following the Mass, Bishop Galante will be buried at Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, 8504 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. The burial is open to family and invited guests only.
Bishop Galante was born in Philadelphia and was ordained a priest 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. He became Coadjutor Bishop of Dallas in January 2000.
On April 30, 2004, Bishop Galante was installed as seventh bishop of the Diocese of Camden.
For health reasons, Bishop Galante retired on Jan. 8, 2013, as bishop emeritus of the diocese.