Like many of the bishops who came before him and true to the heritage and history of the Diocese of Saint Augustine, Bishop Victor Galeone’s love for missionary work, is a true testament to his humble spirituality.

In 1970, Bishop Galeone joined the Missionary Society of St. James, named in honor of the Apostle and protector of the Spanish culture. Through the society, priests are taught various languages and placed in Spanish-speaking countries for five-year periods to live and work among the people — teaching and spreading the Word of God.

In a recent interview with the Catholic Review newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Bishop Galeone described the Society of St. James as “a spiritual Peace Corps for diocesan priests who want to dedicate a chunk of their lives to the mission field.”

Bishop Galeone not only did just that once, but twice. From 1970 to 1975, Bishop Galeone worked in the missions of Andahuaylas in Peru. He returned to the United States for three years and worked as an associate pastor at St. William of York Church in Baltimore, before returning to Peru for a second stint in 1978. This time Bishop Galeone returned to the northern coast of Talara, Peru, near the border of Ecuador, for six years.



During his 11 years working on behalf of the Society of St. James, Bishop Galeone grew very fond of the people of Peru, especially the children. “I melt in the innocence of children,” he said, and mastered the region’s dialect of Spanish to a perfection.

Living in conditions well below substandard levels, Bishop Galeone taught religion classes, worked with the poor and hungry, ministered to the sick and brought the Gospel of the Lord to the under served. He felt most blessed and contented to have served the people of God in Peru.

One of the virtues Bishop Galeone said he developed tremendously while in Peru was patience. “I used to be a ‘by the book’ kind of person, anything not permitted is out of the question. But I soon realized there are certain indigenous ways that people live, especially in Third World countries, and you must go with the flow.”

Describing his years in Peru as “extremely rewarding and humbling,” an experience that has deepened his love for Christ, the needy and little children who make up more than half the population — Bishop Galeone said those experiences have made him the person he is today.

“My missionary work gave me a deep compassion for the needy and children. It’s a part of my being, what God has commissioned me to do. I must be around them, their love energizes me and gives me great strength,” said Bishop Galeone.

One of the biggest challenges Bishop Galeone faced in Peru was what he called callous and blatant corruption. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Bishop Galeone. “It’s almost a part of everyday life in Peru.”

But in spite of the corruption and living conditions, Bishop Galeone and his team, forged on with a strong spirit of determination — always finding an example of Christ in everyday life.

One such example is penned in a journal he kept of his thoughts and experiences in Peru. Bishop Galeone often shared some of the stories in letters he wrote to friends and parishioners back home. In one letter, he writes about a heroic 12-year-old boy whose straw hut caught on fire one evening. The boy pulls all his siblings to safety except one. He goes back into the hut to save his sister, but never comes out again. Bishop Galeone wrote that the boy’s heroism typifies the “Lord’s own self-sacrificing love.”

“There is a great thirst to learn about the Lord, but the resources are so limited,” he writes in another letter. “The Lord’s humility has been driven forcefully home to me.”
In 1985, Bishop Galeone returned to the United States and was assigned to pastoral duties at various churches in the Baltimore area. In addition to his diocesan responsibilities and because of his experience working in the missions, Bishop Galeone was appointed archdiocesan director for the Propagation of Faith in 1995 by Cardinal William H. Keeler, a position he eagerly accepted.

The Propagation of Faith is an organization that supports the work of missionaries in Third World countries. As a former missionary, Bishop Galeone knew all too well the needs of the missionaries in these countries. He invited religious men and women to speak to his congregation about the living conditions of the poor and the importance of teaching the Gospel to them. He reminded his congregation “those who have been sent — the missionaries — cannot do it alone. They need the prayers and financial support of the faithful at home.”

Bishop Galeone says his work in the missions has humbled him and made him a more compassionate and understanding person. “I felt very much at home in their midst,” he says. “I’ve been called to serve, rich or poor, the Lord loves us all and so do I.”