TERREBONNE and LAFOURCHE Parishes, La.

OBITUARIY for GALLEN, JOHN    

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan

Source: Published in Houma Today & The Daily Comet from Jan. 8 
to Jan. 9, 2014

Died: Monday, Dec. 16, 2013

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GALLEN, JOHN  

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The Rev. John Gallen, 72, died Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, after a yearlong battle 
with cancer. 

His Mass of Christian burial was Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013, at St. Patrick's 
Catholic Church, where he celebrated his First Solemn Mass 44 years earlier. He 
was buried in Aghyaran, N. Ireland. A tribute to his memory will be from 10 
a.m. until funeral time Saturday at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in 
Thibodaux. A Memorial Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, with a 
reception to at the church hall. 

He is survived by his brothers Charlie, Jimmy, and Tommy Gallen; and sisters, 
Mary Stead and Josephine Byrne. His parents were John and Mary Gallen. 

Fr. John Gallen always wanted to be a priest, but it was not an easy path to 
ordination. The Northern Ireland man from the County Tyrone was nearing the end 
of his studies, within a year of ordination, when he became ill and discovered 
he was suffering from epilepsy. He took time out, before letting his bishop 
know he was ready to return. However, he was told he would not be accepted back 
to the seminary. 
He accepted this decision, seeing it as God's will that he follow a different 
path. With the help of his parish priest, Fr. Hugh McKeague, he was put in 
touch with a visiting bishop from New Orleans who agreed to sponsor him. Soon 
enough, he secured a place to study at St. Kieran's Seminary in Kilkenny, 
Northern Ireland and was proudly ordained in 1969, 11 years after first 
entering the seminary. 
He spent the next four decades in the United States, away from his family, but 
it was a vocation he loved and a life he gladly led. 

John Gallen was the oldest of six children born to parents, John and Mary 
Gallen. He was educated in Castlederg, Strabane and Mount Mellary, N. Ireland 
on his journey toward Holy Orders. His first assignments in the U.S. were in 
two New Orleans parishes. 
In 1974, he then began his journey on the bayou, serving the community of St. 
Mary's Nativity Catholic Church in Raceland for six years before heading to 
Sacred Heart in Morgan City as their Pastor for 18 years. He spent his last 15 
years at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Thibodaux until retiring in May 
2013, due to ill health. During his time at Christ the Redeemer, he also served 
as pastor for St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church from 1998 until the link 
of the churches was dissolved in 2002. 

He is remembered as a quiet, private but hard-working priest who was an 
excellent listener and source of great comfort to parishioners. 
He was an avid sports fan and had a great passion for music. 

Landry's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 

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