Supporters work to boost former Sacramento bishop closer to sainthood
The Sacramento Bee
Published Friday, July 17, 2009
Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, even as he was losing his eyesight, was always there for his parishioners.
Nearly 18 years after he was killed in a car accident, they still feel his presence.
Gallegos, the auxiliary Catholic bishop who died in 1991, is moving closer to becoming Sacramento's first saint.
The bishop, an unofficial chaplain to lowriders and migrant workers, passed the first step toward canonization last year. Now supporters are working for Gallegos to reach the next level in the sainthood process.
Testimony from more than 130 witnesses about the bishop's virtues – and how many believe he has interceded for them since his death – will be summarized in a 1,100-page report that will be sent to the Vatican by the end of year.
"He deserves it," said Angela Zapata, who credits the late bishop's intercession for her daughter's survival as a premature infant with a massive brain hemorrhage. "I know that praying to him and asking him to help made a huge difference."
To boost the bishop's cause, supporters hope to transfer Gallegos' remains within the next six months. They have asked for permission to move him from St. Mary's Cemetery in south Sacramento to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, where he served downtown.
The unusual move, which church officials in Rome must approve, would make it easier for parishioners to ask the bishop for his intercession or for favors, supporters say.
"We want to move him so his sanctity will be known and one day, God willing, a miracle will happen that could be verified and documented, leading toward his beatification," said the Rev. Eliseo Gonzalez, a member of the Augustinian Recollects, Gallegos' religious order, which is promoting the bishop for sainthood.
Since Gallegos' death, many have visited his mausoleum to give thanks, present him with flowers and ask for his help. In June, Sara Sevilla, 15, and her family drove from Oxnard to thank Gallegos for his intervention.
Sevilla, who said she was nearly blind, credits the bishop for helping her recover her eyesight a year ago.
"We went there. My family and I prayed, asking for his help," Sevilla said. "I got this warm feeling all over me and then I got my eyesight."
Sevilla said she plans to make the pilgrimage every year, "no matter where he is."
Moving the remains of a church leader has been done only once before in the diocese. Bishop Eugene O'Connell, Sacramento's first bishop, was moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento after he died more than 100 years ago.
"One does not remove remains without serious reasons," said the Rev. James Murphy, vicar general of the diocese. The diocese supports Gallegos' canonization cause.
The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento officially began the beatification process, the first in a series of steps toward canonization, in December 2005. The Congregation of the Causes of Saints in Rome granted the decree of validity to Gallegos' cause last year, declaring him "a servant of God."
"We want to do what we can," Murphy said. "But keep in mind that the entire process could take decades or longer."
Since his cause was started, church officials have been interviewing those who knew Gallegos.
Angela Zapata was eager to testify. She was living in Los Angeles when her daughter Angelique was born at 24 weeks. Soon afterward, the baby developed a series of health problems including a massive brain bleed. Doctors gave her daughter days to live, Zapata said.
Years earlier, her father, Raul Zapata was one of several who drove Gallegos, then nearly blind, to the migrant camps. Raul Zapata called Bishop Gallegos' religious order for help.
A priest arrived, placed a prayer card with the late bishop's picture in Angelique's incubator, baptized her and wrapped Gallegos' stole around her tiny body. Angelique is now a healthy, happy 2-year-old, said Angela Zapata, who lives in Elk Grove.
"I know he heard our prayers," she said.
Catholics do not worship saints. Rather, they ask for a saint's intervention or help. There are more than 10,000 saints, according to Catholic Online, which covers Roman Catholic issues.
Typically, the canonization process starts five years after the death of the candidate, with the local bishop launching an investigation into his or her life. A panel of theologians in Rome reviews the findings.
Gallegos' documents have been reviewed and supporters now are in the positio stage – summarizing the documentation, according to Gonzalez.
If approved by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the pope proclaims the candidate "venerable."
The next step, beatification, requires proof of one miracle after the candidate's death. A second miracle is needed before the candidate can be declared a saint.
The investigation could end at any time if church leaders learn that the candidate does not meet the criteria for sainthood: a heroic degree of virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Gallegos was born in Albuquerque, N.M. His father was a carpenter, and his mother a homemaker caring for their 11 children. Gallegos, a twin, was so intent on becoming a priest he constructed an altar at home.
He lived in the Sacramento area from 1979, serving at Our Lady and St. Rose Parish until his death in 1991. He is the first person from the diocese to be recommended for sainthood.
The bishop was known for his cheerful demeanor and his determination to serve the needy. He began every day the same. "What a beautiful day," he would say.
He spent a lot of time with parishioners and became known as "the bishop of the barrio." During the summer, he would sleep at the migrant camps. On Friday nights, he would watch the weekly lowrider procession in front of St. Rose on Franklin Boulevard. He gave all his money to needy children.
The bishop was easily recognizable. He wore Coke-bottle-thick glasses and a white cowboy hat with his clerical garb.
Gallegos underwent several surgeries to improve his eyesight, but those who knew him said he was nearly blind near the end of his life. To make up for this, he memorized the Mass and Scripture. Parishioners drove him to church and helped him make pastoral visits.
On Oct. 6, 1991, Gallegos and his driver were returning to Sacramento from Gridley,where the bishop had presided over confirmations. The two men were saying the rosary when Gallegos' Volkswagen Jetta stalled on Highway 99. The bishop had gotten out to help push the car to the side of the road when he was struck by a passing car. He died instantly.
Many witnesses have testified about Gallegos' character and demeanor. Rigo De la Torre said he never thought of himself as a religious person but felt compelled to testify how Gallegos helped his family.
De la Torre's daughter Amanda was dying in the hospital and doctors told her parents it was time to call a priest. De la Torre walked outside the hospital room and spotted the bishop coming toward him.
"We hadn't called him, but he said he felt something draw him there, that someone there needed his help," said De la Torre. Gallegos blessed Amanda and prayed with the family. She is now a freshman at Sacramento State.
"I'm Catholic but not a big churchgoer," said Rigo De la Torre. "But what happened that day is something I'll never forget."