Sister M. Anne Brigid Gallagher, formerly known as Anne Colleen Gallagher, died on October 9, 2026, at Mary Immaculate Convent in South Philadelphia. Sister died in the 47th year of her religious life.
Born Anne Colleen Gallagher on May 10, 1955, to her parents, John and Beatrice, who raised their family of two boys and four girls in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Anne attended elementary school there. Sister’s father died in 1967, shortly before Anne entered Little Flower High School for Girls, graduating in 1973. Following this, she continued her education at Immaculata College, earning a B.A. in Elementary Education in 1977.
On September 15, 1979, Anne entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, receiving the habit and the name Sister M. Anne Brigid on June 21, 1980, and making her first vows on August 14, 1982. For several months, Sister taught seventh grade at St. Alice School in Upper Darby until she was assigned that August to St. Katharine of Siena School in Wayne for grades five through eight. A year later, Sister moved to Coatesville Area Catholic School to teach seventh and eighth graders while residing at St. Cecilia Convent.
A transfer to Transfiguration Convent in Philadelphia in 1985 found Sister teaching eighth graders for three years. Her next move took her further away as she undertook working with students in grades six through eight at St. Joseph School in Athens, Georgia. Over the next few years, Sister Anne Brigid achieved an educational landmark, earning her Master of Arts in the Teaching of Mathematics in 1990 from Villanova University. Returning to the Philadelphia area in 1992, Sister was first assigned to work with sixth graders at St. Anselm Parish and then, for the next four years, with students in grades six through eight at Sacred Heart School in Havertown.
In 1997, Sister Anne Brigid moved to secondary education at Holy Name High School in Reading as Dean of Studies while residing at St. Catherine Convent. A move to Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg in 2001 saw her teaching mathematics while living at Immaculate Heart Convent. After two years, Sister continued to teach math at Little Flower High School while living at Holy Innocents Convent. Undertaking the position of Dean of Studies at Immaculata High School in 2007 took her to Somerville, New Jersey. Both her residence and assignment changed in 2015 when she was assigned to Academic Administrative Support at Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School while living at Immaculate Heart Convent in Springfield. Serving as the Dean of Activities at Ss. Neumann and Goretti High School from 2018 through 2022, Sister lived at Mary Immaculate Convent.
From August 2022 until August of the following year, Sister provided needed family support on home care, after which she was transferred to the IHM Literacy Center in 2023.
In addition to her IHM community, her mother Beatrice (McManus) McCloskey, her brothers John Gallagher (Ellen), and Michael Gallagher; her sisters Maureen McDermott (Mike), Eileen Ortals (Ed), Kate Gallagher, Megan Hulse (Mike) and her nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews survive Sister M. Anne Brigid. Sister Anne’s father, John Gallagher and her stepfather, James McCloskey predecease Sister.
Reverend James E. Dalton, OSFS and Reverend John Burger, CSC concelebrated Sister M. Anne Brigid Gallagher’s Funeral Liturgy at Camilla Hall on Monday, October 19, 2026. Father Dalton delivered the homily.
In Sister M. Anne Brigid’s memory, a donation may be sent to:
Camilla Hall Nursing Home
IHM Mission Advancement Office
230 IHM Drive
Malvern, PA 19355