OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE (PDF)
It was announced today by the Vatican that Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed Very Reverend George D. Gallaro, JCOL, JCOD, STL, bishop of the Byzantine (Italo-Albanese) Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi in Palermo, Italy. The eparchy has 29,000 Catholics, 28 priests, 4 deacons and 159 religious.
Bishop-designate George is a priest of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton, Mass. who has served in the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh for the past ten years, during which time he fulfilled the positions of Syncellus for Canonical Services, Judicial Vicar, member of the Presbyteral Council and of the Intereparchial Canonical Commission, and Personal Formation Advisor and member of the faculty of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary. Additionally, the bishop-designate is a consultor for the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, a member and past president of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches and member of the Canon Law Society of America. A prolific writer, Father Gallaro has published numerous articles and has authored several books. He also served as administrator of St. Andrew Byzantine Catholic Church, Gibsonia, Pa.
In his own Eparchy of Newton, Father Gallaro served as Chancellor, Judicial Vicar, Rector of St. Gregory Seminary, Director of the Diaconate Program, and Coordinator of Continuing Education for Clergy. Among other past duties, he also was an Instructor of Catechetics and Defender of the Bond in the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a Lecturer of Canon Law at Boston Theological Institute, and pastor of several Melkite and Ukrainian parishes.
Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro was born January 16, 1948 in Pozzallo, Sicily in Italy. After graduation from the Diocesan Seminary of Noto, Italy with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy (PhB), his theological studies were completed at St. John Major Seminary, Camarillo, Calif. The bishop-designate’s higher degrees were earned at the Pontifical Oriental Institute and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, both in Rome. He was ordained a deacon in 1971, followed by priestly ordination on May 27, 1972.
Metropolitan Archbishop William, the clergy, religious and faithful of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh congratulate Bishop-designate George, and wish him peace, health and happiness form many blessed years!
