Clergy/Staff

Meet the Clergy and Staff

The Very Reverend Joseph W. McQuaide, IV serves as Rector of the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Pastor of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Patrick Parishes.

Father McQuaide was born and raised in the Diocese of Wilmington. The oldest son of Joseph and Elaine, he was baptized into Christ and his Church at Immaculate Conception Church, Elkton, Maryland on December 15, 1985. Soon thereafter came his siblings: Jeremy (now married to Emily, with sons Aiden and Landon), Sara (now married to Zack), and Erica (now married to Zach, with daughter Elaina). He attended Immaculate Conception School from kindergarten to eighth grade and later graduated from Salesianum School.

Having discerned a vocation to the priesthood, he began seminary formation at Saint Andrew’s College Seminary at Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, with a minor in music (vocal performance). He was then appointed to continue his formation at the Pontifical North American College, Rome. While there, he lived in the shadow of Saint Peter’s and studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining an S.T.B., a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, and at the Pontifical Athenæum of Saint Anselm, obtaining an S.T.M.A., a Master of Arts in Sacred Theology, specializing in sacramental theology.

Father McQuaide was ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ on June 18, 2011 by His Excellency, the Most Reverend W. Francis Malooly, the ninth Bishop of Wilmington, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. Since then, Father has served as Associate Pastor of Holy Cross, Dover; Immaculate Conception, Marydel; Our Lady of Fatima, New Castle; and Saint Paul, Delaware City. Most recently he was in residence at Saint Mary Magdalen, Wilmington. During this time, he has served the diocese as a member of the Presbyteral Council, the Sustaining Hope for the Future capital campaign clergy policy committee, and the Bishop’s priority taskforce on promoting vocations in the diocese. He has served as Associate Vocations Director, Vice Chancellor, Coordinator of the Office of Worship, and Master of Episcopal Liturgical Ceremonies.

In addition to his parish assignments in the Downtown Catholic community, he currently serves as the Diocesan Chaplain for Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Diocesan Chancellor, and Judicial Vicar. He is also pursuing a licentiate in canon law (J.C.L.) from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.

Deacon Anthony Gallo
Deacon Anthony and his wife (Ellen) of 40 years live in North Wilmington and have six children: Anthony, Gerard, Maria, Rose, Dominic, and Anna as well as two grandchildren: Lily and Maggie.

Anthony has a B.S. in Accounting from St. Joseph’s University and an M.B.A. – Finance from Drexel University. He is retired from Sunoco LLC after a 40-year career in their Finance/Treasury organization. He is presently and has been an adjunct professor in the business departments at local universities for the last 35 years.

He was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Wilmington by His Excellency, the Most Reverend William E. Koenig, the tenth Bishop of Wilmington, on August 7, 2021 and has served the Downtown Catholic churches since then.

He is also a retired high school football official who enjoys sports, reading and especially spending time with family and friends.

Deacon Roberto Ortiz
Deacon Roberto was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He and his beloved wife Cynthia married in May 2000, live in Middletown, Del., and are blessed with two children, Brother Gabriel, S.J.C., who has professed temporary vows with the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius Catholic, and a daughter, Valerie who is pursuing a college degree.

Deacon Roberto obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering (B.S.I.E) from the University of PR and then he obtained a Master of Business Administration Degree (M.B.A.) from Colorado State University. Deacon Roberto volunteered to serve in the U.S. Navy and was stationed on a ship in Hawaii at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station, during the first Persian Gulf War and completed deployments to several countries in the Pacific. He was Honorably Discharged and was awarded with the Good Conduct and US Navy Achievement Medals.

Deacon Roberto was ordained to the Diaconate on August 7, 2022, by His Excellency, the Most Reverend William Koenig, the tenth Bishop of Wilmington, at St. Joseph Church in Middletown, Del. Since then, Deacon Roberto has served at Immaculate Conception/St Jude Parish in Elkton, Md. and currently at Downtown Catholic churches in Wilmington since September 2023.

For over ten years, he has worked at a medical device company in Delaware. He has over 20 years’ experience working in quality management in the medical device and electronics industries. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. Deacon Roberto is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.

Maria Dempsey
Parish Office Administrator
[email protected]
Maria is originally from New Jersey, is a graduate of Widener University and came to Wilmington with the Chase Manhattan Bank 42 years ago. There she met her husband of 37 years, and together they have raised their four children: Donald, Catherine, Jennifer, and Harrison. She and her family have been parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary for 35 years. Maria and Don own an executive transportation business and are very active in their community. She enjoys baking, the Jersey Shore, and—most especially—time with her family.

Barbara Procope
Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
[email protected]
Barbara was born and raised in Hockessin, Delaware. She attended All Saints Catholic School, Delaware Military Academy and is a recent graduate of the University of Delaware. She is currently enrolled at Franciscan University, pursuing a Masters degree in Theology and Christian Ministry. In 2021, she started The Upper Room, a Catholic Young Adult Group and bible study, which she continues to help run. She is a proud daughter of the owners of Cafe Napoli, an Italian restaurant that has been serving the Wilmington area for over 30 years. She enjoys walking outside, reading, and doing puzzles.

Michael J. Davidson
Music Director, Cathedral of Saint Peter
[email protected]
Michael came to the Cathedral in 1982 as the organist and schola director, then assumed the position of the Director of Liturgical Music in 2003. In 1983, he became the curator of the 1918 cathedral’s Austin pipe organ and began a 23-year project to tonally and mechanically renovate the instrument, including expanding the organ to 30 ranks. In 2006, he contracted with the Peragallo Organ Company to build and install a new console and a four-rank mixture. Michael studied organ with Robert Frank and is a member of the American Guild of Organists. He is a graduate of Penn State University in Electrical Engineering Technology and retired from the University of Delaware in 2020 as a master instrumentation specialist and facilities coordinator. He enjoys pipe organ maintenance and volunteering at Fox Point State Park.

Dana Brehany
Music Director, Saint Mary & Saint Patrick

Kathleen Cullen
Parish Bookkeeper
[email protected]