On May 22, 1948, then-Father Paul Gallagher held his gold-plated chalice for the first time as a priest. Near the base of the chalice, a cross, and on the underside, a personal inscription marking his Ordination Day as well as the Latin words, “Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quæ retribuit mihi? Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo” – What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
For 44 years of active ministry – including as pastor of Saint Mary Parish, Cherry Hill; Sacred Heart, Mount Ephraim; and Incarnation, Mantua – he held high the chalice during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Msgr. Gallagher also found time to lend a hand to the Catholic Star Herald as assistant managing editor, as well as serve as director of public relations and the Bureau of Information at the Diocese of Camden.
Today, 75 years later, a Gallagher holds the same chalice – the monsignor’s great-nephew, Father Peter Gallagher, parochial vicar of Holy Angels Parish, Woodbury.
“It’s a beautiful chalice and a special gift,” Father Gallagher, 29, says. “I’m honored to use it; it’s a tremendous privilege.”
The priest never knew his great-uncle, but the important year in both of their histories is 1994 – when Msgr. Gallagher passed away and Peter Gallagher was born.
Growing up in Haddon Township in a devoutly Catholic family, Father Gallagher heard stories all his life of his great-uncle. “He was a gregarious, sociable guy who liked to sing; I’ve even heard old tapes of him singing.”
Throughout his vocation, Msgr. Gallagher enjoyed a strong bond with family and his brother priests. “My grandfather was an accountant, and all of Msgr. Paul’s priest-friends would seek his financial advice,” Father Gallagher says. As well, “Msgr. Paul and his friends would gather with his family every Sunday for lunch, after their last morning Masses.”
Through these encounters, the Gallagher family came to better understand the priesthood.
“Knowing a priest in the family changed my calling, when I told them, from something unheard of to, ‘Oh, Msgr. Paul was a priest, and you’re going to be one, too,’” Father Gallagher says.
In 2019, after his ordination to the transitional diaconate, Father Gallagher was surprised with the chalice by his aunt, Peggy Madison, who had kept the monsignor’s chalice and other treasured belongings after his passing.
There’s a sense of continuity now in the Gallagher name, through the chalice and the year 1994 that he shares with his great-uncle, Father Gallagher says. Using the chalice at special occasions, including family Masses and Christmas Day, “I always remember him and pray for him.”
The priest says he is humbled to be able to tangibly connect with a blood relative in the act of the Eucharist – the source and summit of the faith.
“The Eucharist is the most important reason I’m Catholic and a priest,” Father Gallagher says. “It’s the ultimate act of Jesus loving his people and wanting to feed them with himself, at the cost of his body and blood. I take the responsibility to feed our people by word and sacrament very seriously.”
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