While bishop, Walsh also served as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York, from 2007 to 2013.
Biography
Early life
Gerald Walsh was born on April 25, 1942, in Manhattan, the eldest of the three children of Thomas Walsh, a police officer, and Anne (née Haggerty) Walsh, a homemaker. His siblings are Michael (b. 1944) and Monica (b. 1950). Gerald Walsh attended Good Shepherd School and Power Memorial Academy in New York City, then Iona College in New Rochelle, New York in 1959; there he earned the nickname of "St. Gerry" from his classmates.[1] Walsh then attended St. Joseph's Seminary, where he obtained his bachelor's degree and his Master of Divinity degree.[2]
After returning to New York, Walsh served as parochialvicar of Holy Trinity Parish in Manhattan until 1980. He received his Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in New York City in 1983. Also in 1980, Walsh was appointed head of the Department of Family and Children's Services at Catholic Charities, holding that position until 1989. He was raised by the Vatican to the rank of mkonsignor in 1990. For the next six years, he was pastor of Incarnation Parish in Washington Heights, Manhattan.[2]
From January 1996 to August 1998, Walsh served as private secretary to Cardinal John O'Connor. During this time, he accompanied O'Connor on ten trips to Rome, where he met Pope John Paul II. Walsh later reflected on this period, saying, "I learned a lot of things I would not have known otherwise, how to handle certain situations".[4] Walsh was then named pastor of St. Elizabeth's Parish in Washington Heights, and regional vicar of North Manhattan in September of that same year. In 2003, Walsh was named vicar of development of the archdiocese, serving as its chief fundraiser.[2]
In 2007, Walsh was also named rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. He became the only bishop to serve as the head of an Americanseminary.
Walsh has also served as associate chaplain of the Knights of Columbus' New York Chapter since 1980, and was a member of the archdiocesan priests' council and college of consultors starting in 2000. On February 13, 2013, Walsh was named vicar general of the archdiocese, holding that position until 2014.
Retirement
On September 5, 2017 Pope Francis accepted Walsh's letter of resignation as auxiliary bishop of New York after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.[3]
Walsh enjoys playing handball, at least until receiving a knee injury, and taking walks in the community.