It was a delight last weekend to see everyone respond to Father Gallaugher’s announcement of his new assignment. Many people went out of their way to speak to him at the doors – I even saw people from the St. Joseph transept make the long trip over. A number said nice things about him to me too, how they would miss him. That must be gratifying and encouraging for him.
To summarize for you who were away last weekend – and a whole lot of people were away – Cardinal Wuerl has assigned Father Gallaugher to the Archdiocese of Washington's Department of Special Needs Ministries, where he will serve as chaplain at St Francis Deaf Catholic Church and in Catholic campus ministry at Gallaudet University. His office and the church are in the recently-rededicated Pope Francis Center, in the former convent at Saint Mary Church, Landover Hills. He will reside in the rectory of Saint Mary and assist with Mass in that parish as well.
Folks also brought me a question, whether spoken or unspoken: so, who will take his place around here? Will we get anyone? I did not address that last weekend because I did not want to distract from all that Father-Gallaugher-time, but now I can let you know what the plan is.
Father Emanuel Magro has been assigned to be Parochial Vicar here beginning 5 July, which is also the date Father Gallaugher will move to his new place.
Father Magro is from Malta, and a priest of his home diocese of Gozo. He has lived in the United States a lot during the last twenty-five years, at first teaching and studying here, and then most recently as a professor at the Catholic University of America. While focused on academics, Father Magro has also enjoyed U.S. parish life, most recently residing and helping out at Saint Patrick Church, Norbeck.
He is retiring from the faculty of CUA with a desire to return to parish ministry and has been given permission by his home bishop in Malta and Cardinal Wuerl to serve in the Archdiocese of Washington, being assigned by the latter to Saint Bernadette.
And so again we get ready for a change. You have five weeks to be nice to Father Gallaugher before his departure, which I heartily recommend; it will give him more reasons to pine for the glories of Saint Bernadette once he moves on. Undaunted, he is excited about his new assignment.
And I am sure you join me in looking forward to welcoming Father Magro, and that you will do so with your usual grace and generosity. This parish is known well and widely throughout the presbyterate of the Archdiocese for being very good to her priests.
The anticipation is growing also in the rectory, where Father Grisafi is excited that he will no longer be the new guy, and I am pleased that I will no longer be the old guy. Father Magro has no idea what he is in for, but is optimistic, if possibly cautiously so. Everybody has a smile about his lips. Sounds like a win-win-win-win-win, doesn’t it?
We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Monsignor Smith
