Ordained: 1955
Status: Accused
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
Father Joseph Gallagher, also known as J. Joseph Gallagher, was a former editor of The Catholic Review who retired in 1985. His name appeared on the archdiocese’s list of accused priests in September 2002, with an allegation from 1986 of abuse of a 14-year-old boy in 1980.
The accuser met with officials in 1993, and “Gallagher admitted inappropriate conduct, and his faculties to perform ministry were removed.” Gallagher objected to his inclusion on the list, claiming that the incident involved only a massage of a 14-year-old boy and did not involve genital touching, but he was still included. He passed away in 2015 and was included in the Maryland Attorney General’s report released on April 5, 2023.