Miguel Miró presented a letter in which he requested the acceleration of the process and pointed out some of the features of modernity in Alphonse Gallegos, who was known in the Watts district of Los Angeles as “the Bishop of the Barrio.” His total and joyful availability to the people, his constant ministry to the poor and the sick, his dedication, which many considered temeritous, to marginalized young people, whom he accompanied even at night, his strong position and action in the pro-life movement, which made him a frequent participant in protests against abortion, and his complete identification with the immigrants and with the “Chicano” minority were defended as virtues calling for his canonization.
The petition of the prior general also had the support of Bishop Jaime Soto, the present bishop of Saramento, the diocese where Alphonse Gallegos had served as auxiliary bishop from 1981until 1991, when he died in a traffic accident.
Cardinal Angelo Amato was impressed by the characteristics and qualities that adorn the life of Bishop Gallegos, and, after reviewing the calendar of the Congregation, determined that the date for the study of the Positio by the commission of theologians will be early in 2016.
Miguel Miró was accompanied in his visit by Father Samson Silloriquez, who is in charge of the causes of canonization for our Order, and by Father Eliseo González, who has been assisting Father Silloriquez in his work on the cause of Bishop Alphonse Gallegos.
The Process of Canonization
Bishop Gallegos’ cause of canonization was introduced in Rome in November of 2006, and four years later, at the request of the Augustinian Recollects, his remains were exhumed and solemnly tranferred to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Hispanic center in the city of Sacramento, which now has a large statue of the bishop in the cathedral square and a street named in his honor,
In the course of the years since the canonical process began, the testimonies of 130 people who knew “Father Al” were recorded. With these testimonies Fathers Silloriquez and González composed the ample Positio of 640 pages in large format, in which they describe in detail the life of this Hispanic bishop, whom the “low-riders” considered their chaplain.
The Life of Alphonse Gallegos
Alphonse Gallegos Apocada was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on February 20, 1931. From infancy he suffered from serious myopia, a vision deficiency which made it very difficult for him to read.
Because of his determination and spirit of love of God he was considered suitable for religious life and the priesthood. An Augustinian Recollect since 1951, his principal concern in his pastoral ministry was the education of youth and helping them find alternatives to gang life on the streets.
His pastoral dedication earned him the appointment as the first director of the Hispanic Affairs Office in California. On November 4, 1981, he was ordained auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, where is life was typified by his constant cheerfulness, his patience in living with the limitations of his vision, and his kind and friendly manner of dealing with everyone, including those who made his pastoral ministry difficult.
His intense prayer life and his commitment to the poor and the needy, especially the Latino immigrants who were looking for a better life in the United States, were also defining traits of his life. Alphonse Gallegos died in a traffic accident in 1991, when he was only 60 years old.