On June 28, 2008, my family and I woke up around 4 am preparing for our big trip to Sacramento, California. Our hearts were full of faith and in our minds we all knew that I was going to come back seeing again. The reason is that I lost my sight on September 11, 2007. It happened suddenly. All that I remember is that I suddenly fainted, and the following day when I woke up I could not see at all. All I could see were what I describe as spots of many colors but nothing I could actually recognize. My family was worried. We went to a neurologist, a ophthalmologist, and a cardiologist. One of my doctors found it to be a phenomenon. Months went by and still I could not see. Depressed and disappointed, I told my mother I wanted t speak with Father Eliseo González. I told him everything about my eye problem, my worries and my thoughts. That is when he first introduced me to Bishop Alfonso Gallegos and told me that the Bishop also had vision problems throughout his life and he could possibly help me. I told my family about Bishop Gallegos. We decided to visit his tomb in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Sacramento, California, to ask for his intercession.

We arrived at the cemetery about 11:00am but were delayed because the mausoleum was closed. We finally entered around 11:45 am. We went straight to where he was buried and there the four of us knelt down and prayed with all our hearts full of faith. My grandmother told my mother and grandfather--as I recall--to put their right hands over my head and pray in the name of Bishop Gallegos. When they started to pray, all I recall is when they said his name I fainted for what my mother says was a few minutes. When I woke up I saw a beautiful brilliant light that was very large with the shape of a man holding what I thought was a stick and on his head was a pointed hat. Father Eliseo later explained to me that that was how a bishop would dress to symbolize his role. The figure just stared at me. I felt so much at peace, and my heart knew that I was staring at Bishop Gallegos. The light had two shades of color: the figure was what I recall a golden bright color and the surrounding area was more of a really bright yellow color.

My mother saw me staring up at the ceiling without blinking but the light never hurt my eyes at all. Slowly it started fading away until it was entirely gone and I have never seen it again. After I saw that light, which I believe was Bishop Gallegos, I closed my eyes and then opened them again and saw perfectly. I could see every small detail of my family’s faces, where we were, my hands and my mother’s eyes filled with tears and the tomb of Bishop Gallegos. I was filled with emotion and at the same time with shock. I finally told my mother with a shaking voice that I could see again; when the family heard that, they were moved with great tears because in our hearts we knew that a miracle had taken place. Filled with gratitude we began to thank God and Bishop Gallegos with all our might. We will forever be indebted for this great favor received by our family. My grandmother started praying the rosary but I could not even speak as I felt so many things at that moment – happiness, shock, gratitude, and absolute wonderful peace. We stayed there for what (I estimate) about two hours

Today, is Friday, August 14, 2009. This occurred over a year ago, and I am happy to say that I haven’t lost my sight ever since then, thanks to God and the intercession of Bishop Gallegos.

Sara Lissette Sevilla
Oxnard, California