Historical and biographical review of some of the main figures of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of Augustinian Recollects from its foundation to the present day.
Family and Education
He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on 20 February 1931 into a family where the rosary and catechesis were practiced, well integrated into the country but faithful to their Mexican religious traditions. Two traits characterized his life: very strong myopia, almost blindness, and a wide smile that brightened his face. His family moved to California. As a child, he served as an acolyte and joined the activities at the Parish of Watts in Los Angeles, which was administered by the Augustinian Recollects. Very early, he showed his aspirations to be like them. Overcoming the obstacles stemming from his eye problems, he entered the novitiate in Kansas in 1951. Two detachments of the retina revived his doubts, but his humility, self-denial, and strength of mind prevailed. On 14 May 1958, he received his priestly ordination. Between 1966 and 1972, he was a formator, master of novices in Kansas, and master of the professed in Suffern, New York. Those were years of strong movement where autonomy and freedom were brought to the fore. With a mixture of affability and firmness, Fray Alphonso integrated those values within the most traditional ones.
Bishop of the Barrio, Bishop of Migrant Workers
From 1972, he was devoted to pastoral service, first as parish priest in Watts and Glendale in Los Angeles (1972-1978); then as director of the Division of Hispanic Affairs of the California Episcopal Conference (1978-1981); and finally, as auxiliary bishop of Sacramento (1981-1991).
Watts and Glendale were neighbourhoods where organized gangs of young people sowed insecurity. Father Gallegos met with them and gained their confidence. He asked them to go to church and not to abandon schooling. He revived the Catholic Youth movement where he had undergone training before. He attended to the parochial school and opposed the budget cuts to bilingual education.
He took part in meetings of trade unions and sought the cooperation of movie stars from nearby Hollywood. For the faithful, he was a gift from God. Through the Division of Hispanic Affairs, his field of apostolate was extended to the eleven dioceses of California. But his attitude remained the same: simplicity, humaneness, zeal, and great effort to preserve Hispanic identity and to mature the life of faith.
He did not forget the Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, Poles, African Americans, and all the other minorities who suffered the same problems and had identical needs. He devoted special attention to the family with traditional initiatives—home visits, prayer, and celebrations—or the more complex ones such as raising awareness in public opinion.
He took part in marches and debates, mediated with the authorities, and promoted works pertinent to education and prevention. He gave his all-out support to pro-life organizations and participated in some rallies, but always in the name of peace with the slogan “Jesus forgives and heals.” After his death, the Diocese of Sacramento named the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home for homeless women in his honour.
Spiritual Profile
His spirituality was anchored on two foundations: an unshakeable trust in the Lord and a deep love for His creatures. “Love one another” was his episcopal motto. He inherited from his family a love for the Pope and the Church. His other characteristics were his cheerfulness, devotion to the Eucharist, to the Blessed Virgin, and to Saint Joseph, whom he had chosen as his patron at his religious profession. When he was already a bishop, he always lived in close contact with his Recollect confreres.
Death
On 6 October 1991, after finishing his day’s work in Gridley, 150 kilometres from Sacramento, he and his driver stopped to assist a stranded motorist on the highway. Another vehicle slammed into them and caused the instantaneous death of Bishop Gallegos. His funeral was attended by thirty bishops, a hundred priests, and more than two thousand people. The cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles summed up his life in seven words: “A gentle man, an affable priest, a solicitous bishop.” On 23 February 1997, a group of lowriders, with their souped-up cars, dedicated a statue to him, financed through spontaneous donations. To perpetuate his memory, Sacramento renamed Gallegos Square after him, which is located between the Capitol of California and the cathedral.
Canonization Process
On 4 December 2005, the canonization process was opened in Sacramento and was closed on 15 November 2006 after interviewing 230 witnesses. On 4 June 2008, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the validity of the diocesan process and authorized the exhumation of his remains on 10 March 2010. Since 27 March of that year, his mortal remains rest at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento. On 8 July 2016, he was declared Venerable by Pope Francis.
