Exhumation and Transfer of The Mortal Remains of The Servant of God Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, OAR

Tomb of Bishop Alphonse Gallegos Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Sacramento, CA

 

On March 24 at 9:00 AM, the mortal remains of the Servant of God, Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, were exhumed at St. Mary's Cemetery, in Sacramento, California, so as to transfer  them to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in that same city. Present were the members of the Tribunal appointed by Bishop Jaime Soto, Bishop of Sacramento. They were Rev. Timothy Nondorf, Judge Delegate, Rev. Mark Richards, Promoter of Justice, Rev. Eliseo González, OAR, Acting Notary, Frank Espinosa, custodian of the cemetery, Patrick Gormley, Funeral Director, Dr. Francisco Aguirre, Medical Expert, and Rev. Samson Silloriquez, OAR, General Postulator for the Causes of Saints.

The wooden casket, still in good condition, was transported from the cemetery to W. F. Gormley and Sons Funeral Parlor, in the center of the city, for authentication of the body and its transfer to a new metal casket. In the afternoon of that same day, Bishop Francis Quinn--who was Ordinary of the diocese of Sacramento at the time of Bishop Gallegos' death, and who had ordained him to the episcopate--celebrated Mass in the Cathedral with the body present. An over night wake was held in the same cathedral.

The following morning the body was brought to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe where it was received by Bishop William Weigand, Bishop Emeritus of Sacramento. After the Mass, the coffin was placed in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament  where it remained until Saturday morning.  A large number of faithful came to show their respect, asking for his intercession and praying for his canonization.   

At midday, on March 27, Bishop Jaime Soto presided at the Mass at the Shrine, together with Bishop Quinn and Father General Javier Guerra, OAR. A number of Augustinian Recollects, members of the Legionaries of Christ, and diocesan priests concelebrated. Among the large number of relatives of Bishop Gallegos attending were his brother Raymond and his sister, Rita. Following the Mass, the casket with the mortal remains was laid in the new tomb in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where the faithful now have access to pray before his tomb and ask for his intercession. 

Fr. Eliseo González, OAR