A Modern Day Saint?

Just a few weeks ago the Augustinian Recollects received the joyful news that the Cause for Beatification for Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, OAR (1931-1991) was about to be opened. This opening will take place on Sunday, December 4, 2005, at a special ceremony and Mass to be offered by Bishop William K. Weigand, Bishop of Sacramento, California. The Mass will take place in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00 PM, and will be followed by a reception in the cathedral hall.

Alphonse Gallegos, originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, became an Augustinian Recollect through profession of religious vows in 1951. He was ordained a priest in 1958, and became the first Augustinian Recollect bishop of St. Augustine Province when he was chosen to serve as auxiliary bishop of Sacramento in 1981. His life was cut short, tragically in an auto accident in 1991.

The Augustinian Recollects join with family and friends of the late Bishop Gallegos in thanking God for the gift of his life and for the powerful witness he gave to the Christian faith through his gentle and prayerful spirit, his dedication to building community, and his generous service to all, most especially to young people and to the poor.

A biography of Bishop Gallegos' life and work will be published in the fall of 2006.

Please click the thumbnail photos below to see additional images of Bishop Gallegos.

 

***Click on "Beatification" here or above to read more about that process in our glossary.

***Click on "Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, OAR" here or above, to read a complete article under Spirituality>Augustinian Saints.

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