The October 6th anniversary of the death of Venerable Alphonse Gallegos, Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento in 1991 in a traffic accident leads us to remember him as the man of the smile, which characterized him throughout his life despite the difficult circumstances that he faced.
It has been said that great devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary die near one of her feasts and Bishop Alphonse Gallegos died on October 6th, the eve of the feast of the Virgin of the Rosary. Gallegos was a great devotee of the Virgin Mary since his childhood when he prayed the rosary together with his family. Later, as a religious, due to his myopia, he received a dispensation to pray the rosary as a substitute for the Divine Office. The Rosary was always part of his life. When he traveled by car, plane or train, praying the Rosary was a permanently cultivated devotion.
This testimony summarizes what many remember when speaking about Bishop Gallegos: “I will always remember Bishop Alphonse as a deeply religious, humble and generous friend. I will always remember his smile, his kindness and concern for others and above all his love for God.”
It is impressive to hear how many people considered Bishop Gallegos a true friend who always had time to be among his people, visiting them in times of joy and sadness.
He was a humble man who obtained degrees in psychology and education, but never boasted about the education he received. He was very intelligent, he was knowledgeable about a vast array of topics in conversation, but he knew how to adapt to his simplest listeners. When he was appointed bishop, many were surprised, because they did not believe that he was capable of such a high position, without knowing that he was a very educated man.
He was generous, always generous with his time, looking for ways to serve others in their spiritual or material needs and manifesting his love for God by loving his brothers and sisters with a very special kindness.
We remember Gallegos as the man with the smile, because it was contagious, genuine and beautiful and communicated love and joy. As Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, “Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, something beautiful.”
