Father Bartholomew J. Galvin, MM

Born: August 19, 1926
Ordained: June 13, 1953
Died: November 16, 1999

Father Bartholomew Galvin died at Maryknoll, New York in the afternoon of November 16, 1999. He was 73 years old and a Maryknoll priest for 46 years.

Bartholomew Galvin was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1926, one of five children born to Thomas and Flora McLean Galvin. He attended St. Augustine Parochial School in Lawrence and graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts in June 1944. He entered Maryknoll Apostolic College (Venard), Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, in August 1944. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New York in 1948 and a Bachelor of Theology degree at Maryknoll, New York on April 24, 1953. Father Galvin was ordained on June 13, 1953.

After ordination, Father Galvin was assigned to the Faculty of Maryknoll Junior Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, where he taught Latin, Greek, French and Religion and served as Prefect of Discipline for three years. In September of 1957, he was assigned to graduate studies at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He earned a Licentiate degree in Classical Philology and a Licentiate degree in Ancient Oriental Philology and History in 1960. Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned to the Faculty of Maryknoll College, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he taught Latin and Greek and served as Prefect of Students. In 1965, he returned to the University of Louvain for further studies leading toward a doctorate degree and returned to the College Faculty at Glen Ellyn in 1967.

Father Galvin was assigned to Maryknoll’s Central America Mission Region in July 1969 and served in Guatemala for five years. Due to ill health, Father Galvin returned to the United States in 1974 and was assigned to Los Altos, California where he taught at nearby St. Joseph’s College. In August 1976, he was transferred to Maryknoll Seminary, New York, and conducted a special language instruction program for Vietnamese refugee seminarians and other Third World students who were studying at the Seminary. In 1977, he spent three months at the Yarumal Mission Seminary in Medellin, Columbia, preparing a group of Yarumal seminarians for English studies in the United States.

After a long period of recuperation from recurrent ill health, in 1985 Father Galvin was assigned as Assistant Pastor in St. John Nepomucene Parish in Bohemia, Long Island for group ministry. During this time he also taught at LaSalle Military Academy, in Oakdale, Long Island, New York for three years. In September 1999, Father Galvin’s health necessitated a move to St. Teresa’s Residence, Maryknoll, New York.

Wake services were held on November 18, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Teresa’s Residence and at 7:30 p.m. at Queen of Apostles Chapel at Maryknoll Center where Father William Frazier officiated and Brother Joseph Ziegler read the biography. Mass of Christian Burial was concelebrated at Queen of Apostles Chapel on November 19, 1999 at 11:00 a.m. Father Michael Zunno was Principal Celebrant and Father John King, homilist. Burial followed at Maryknoll Center Cemetery with Father Thomas Henehan conducting the graveside service.