At the Cathedral of Sacramento, California, on the 19th of November, a public proclamation was made of the heroic virtues of Mons. Alfonso Gallegos, who was well-known for his work among the Hispanic youth. This decree of the heroic virtues was approved by Pope Francis after the virtues were examined by a commission appointed by the Congregation of the Saints.
Solemn Eucharist of Thanksgiving
About five hundred pilgrims coming from the Parishes of Cristo Rey (Los Angeles), St. Benedict (Montebello, Mary Star (Oxnard), Nuestra SeƱora de Guadalupe (Santa Ana), Nuestra SeƱora del Pilar (Santa Ana, all of them administered by the Augustinian Recollects participated in the celeb-ration of Sacramento, capital of California. The Augustinian Recollect Sis-ters from Milpitas also came.
At 12 noon at the Conference Room of the Cathedral Samson Silloriquez, OAR, Postulator of the Causes of the Saints explained the steps taken in the process of the canonization of Mons. Gallegos.
In front of the bronze sculpture of the famous Bishop situated at the Bishop Gallegos Square, between the Capitol and the Cathedral, a simple homage was given to Bishop Alfonso Gallegos with the presence of means of communication of the city.The relatives of Mons. Gallegos made a floral offering in front of the monument. In spite of the rain, the procession led by the Bishop of Sacramento, Mons Jaime Soto, started from there until the Cathedral.
At half past one in the afternoon the Thanksgiving Eucharist, presided over by Mons. Jaime Soto, accompanied by five Bishops: Mons. Francis Quinn, who was the Bishop of Sacramento at the time when Alfonso Gallegos was auxiliary Bishop, William Weigand, Richart GarcĆa, Myron Cotta and David Arias, OAR.
Fr. Miguel Miro, Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects and the Prior Provincials Michael Rafferty of the Province of St. Augustine and Dionisio Selma of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno, and other thirty priests, majo-rity of whom were Augustinian Recollects, concelebrated with them.
At the start of the Mass, Samson Silloriquez, Postulator of the Cause, accompanied by the Prior General and by Eliseo GonzĆ”les, Vice Postulator of the Cause, asked that the Decree of the Virtues of Mons. Gallegos be read. Mons. Myron Cotta, Auxiliary Bisho of the Diocese of Sacramento did it. After the reading, amidst applauses, music and ringing of the bells of the Cathedral, Mons, Arias, OAR and Mons. William Weigand emeritus Bishop of Sacremento, unveiled the foto of Venerable Alfonso Gallegos placed at the Choir of the Cathedral. In the homily Bishop Jaime Soto underlined that Mons. Gallegos āwas a good shepherd and friend of the simple people, with his friendship and simplicity helped many to know Christā. At the end of the Mass, Michael Rafferty, Prior Pronvicial of St. Augustine, thanked and invited those present to an agape at the hall of the Cathedral.
At the Tomb of Mons. Alfonso Gallegos
At four oāclock in the afternoon pilgrims went to the Sanctuario de Nuestra SeƱora de Guadalupe, located in the city itself, where the mortal remains of Mons. Gallegos are kept. The Prior General, Miguel Miro, said the prayer for the canonization of Mons. Gallegos. A group of young people made a floral offering on the tomb and Mons. David Arias gave the final blessing.
The following day, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Eucharist was celeb-rated at the Sanctuario de la Virgen de Guadalupe with Prior General as the main celebrant. In his homily, he recalled the joy that characterized Mons. Gallegos and he stressed that in spite of his weak eyesight he dedicated himself to the Hispanic youth.
Biographical features of Mons. Alfonso Gallegos
Alfonso Gallegos Apodaca was born in Albuquerque, NM in 1931, at the bosom of a large family (eleven children). He is educated in the Catholic faith. As a teenager he was subjected to several eye operations. He will drag his visual deficiency together with its determining factors during his entire life. In 1950 he enters the novitiate of Kansas City of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects. Having done the novitiate and having finished his philosophical and theological studies he is ordained priest in 1954. His first years as priest he is assigned as formator in the houses of formation; later he dedicates all his efforts to pastoral works, particularly among those who are socially abandoned, such as the Hispanics and migrants, together with the young, by which his work and dedication to the most humble have gradually acquired prestige and popularity. He is appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento and consecrated in 1981. He dies in a traffic accident in 1991. His funeral was a great event in Sacramento, to which thousands of people attended.
