"On Sunday, October 6, 1991, the very promising career of Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, auxiliary bishop of Sacramento, California, was cut short by a tragic automobile accident in which he was killed instantly. The bishop was 60 years old and had served the diocese of Sacramento for some 10 years as the first Hispanic bishop in the state capital since 1861. During that time he had endeared himself to clergy and people alike with his warm, outgoing manner, his tireless efforts to help others, and his special concern for the youth and for the poor. The statue and plaza now dedicated in his honor, and which stand between the diocesan cathedral and the state capitol, give eloquent testimony to the regard that the people of that city have for a true pastoral leader.
Bishop Gallegos was born February 20, 1931, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was one of 11 children, including a twin brother, three other brothers and six sisters. Bishop Gallegos was a fourth generation Mexican American. He labored for most of his life with a debilitating eye condition that, after a series of unsuccessful operations, left him practically blind. He faced his handicap with great courage, never allowing it to prevent him from fulfilling what he regarded as his duties as a religious and a pastor of souls.
After attending public schools in Los Angeles, Bishop Gallegos attended Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Missouri; St. Thomas College, Sparkill, New York; St. John University, New York; and Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He gained Master of Arts degrees in psychology, education and religious studies, and a Master of Education degree in inner city education.
Bishop Gallegos entered the Augustinian Recollect Monastery, Kansas City, in 1950, and completed studies at Tagaste Monastery, Suffern, New York.
He was ordained to the priesthood May 24, 1958, in Suffern, in the Order of Augustinian Recollects and celebrated his first Mass June 8, 1958, at San Miguel Parish, Los Angeles. Later on, he served as professor of psychology and theology, prefect of professed students, assistant prior at Tagaste, and chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Bishop Gallegos served pastorates at San Miguel Parish, located in the Watts area of Los Angeles, 1972-1979, and at Cristo Rey Parish in Los Angeles, 1978-79. He also served on the Archdiocesan Advisory Board of Education in Los Angeles. During his pastorate at San Miguel, he actively participated, with Cardinal Timothy Manning, Archbishop of Los Angeles, in establishing a program for Spanish-speaking permanent deacons, one of the first of its kind in the U.S. He also spent a great deal of time walking the streets of the violence and gang ridden area of Watts, speaking constantly with the young people of the area and trying to persuade them to embrace a better way of life through the promotion of educational and social programs.
In 1979 Bishop Gallegos was appointed director for the division of Hispanic Affairs for the California Catholic Conference. He moved to Sacramento at that time, taking residence at St. Rose Rectory, Sacramento. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento on September 1, 1981, and was ordained bishop November 4, 1981, by Bishop Francis A. Quinn at the Cathedral of Blessed Sacrament.
Bishop Gallegos left a lasting impression wherever he went and is remembered fondly by a great number of people, many of whom openly admit that they regard him as a holy man, if not a saint, and even pray for his intercession in helping to obtain an answer to their prayers. There is a movement afoot among the Augustinian Recollects to gather information on the life and work of Bishop Alphonse Gallegos with the idea of one day introducing his cause as a "saint for our times," one who made a difference through the faith he always held in his heart, his total commitment to the way of life he had chosen to embrace, and the people he was always motivated to serve." (
visit link)