TEENAGER RECOVERS SIGHT BEFORE TOMB OF BISHOP ALFONSO GALLEGOS

Twelve years ago, a young teenage girl, Sara L. S. from Oxnard,

California, was losing her sight. She saw various doctors but none could explain why she was losing her sight. Sara decided to speak to a priest who told her to pray to Bishop Alfonso Gallegos who suffered with poor vision, seeking his intercession, and to possibly visit his tomb in Sacramento, California. Sara and her family decided to travel six hours to pray before the tomb of Bishop Gallegos and this is what happened:

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 would describe as spots of many colors but nothing I could actually recognize. My family was worried. We went to a neurologist, an

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 to speak with Father Eliseo González. I told him

everything about my vision 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 to put their right hand over my head and pray in the name of Bishop Gallegos. When they started to pray and 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 in shock. I finally told my mother with a shaking voice that I could see again; when the family heard that, they were moved to tears because in our hearts we knew that something extraordinary had taken place. Filled with gratitude we began to thank God and Bishop Gallegos with all our might. 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

This occurred 12 years 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.

 

To follow up on this wonderful story, Sara was recently accepted into the University of UCLA, Los Angeles, California, biology major, a dream come true for her thanks to the intercession of Bishop Gallegos.  

 

VENERABLE BISHOP ALFONSO GALLEGOS AND THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Bishop Alfonso Gallegos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 20, 1931. On February 24 he was baptized; on December 6, 1931 he received the sacrament of Confirmation; both sacraments in Sacred Heart Church, Albuquerque, NM. On October 6, 1991, Bishop Gallegos presided his last Eucharist at Sacred Heart Church, Gridley, California. He died that night in a car accident, as he returned home to Sacramento. The Sacred Heart of Jesus was present at the beginning and at the end of his life.

The witnesses for his cause of canonization said that: “He was very good, patient, loving and always treated everyone the same, poor, rich, young, elderly and children. He liked be among people. He visited families in their homes and ate whatever they offered him. He treated others with love and respect as a good servant of God. ”

Another witness said: “He was pure love, he radiated love, and hegave you love and made you feel loved when you were in his presence.” He had a great heart which he nourished with the Word of God and Eucharistic devotion.

Bishop Gallegos always went to the source of Love, Jesus in the Eucharist, where his heart is beating and from where he wants to give us a heart like his.“I shall give them a single heart and I shall put a new spirit in them; I shall remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, so that they can keep my laws and respect my judgements and put them into practice.” Ezekiel 11:19-20.

Alfonso may not have been an eloquent man, who left behind a legacy of books or many writings, partly due to his poor vision, myopia, with which he struggled his entire life. The bishop was rather an approachable human being who made it a priority to be close to his people, visiting their homes, their workplace and always in search of the lost sheep. As he interacted with his brothers and sisters, he was able to write not with ink, nor on paper, but in the hearts of others, leaving behind a beautiful memory of love and friendship. 

Many people remember with great affection their friend “Bishop Al.” Many have asked for his intercession, finding help and consolation, while others their heart of stone has become a heart of flesh: embracing the Catholic faith, leaving their vices behind, reconciling with a loved one; these are a fewfavors attributed to his intercession.

As we venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us ask God to give us a heart like his, to be able to love as he loves us,as Venerable Bishop Alfonso Gallegos was able to livethe command of Jesus Christ: “Love one another,” his episcopal motto. May the Blessed Virgin Mary help us correspond faithfully to the love of her son, represented in his Sacred Heart.

JUNE 8, 1958: FIRST MASS OF FATHER ALFONSO GALLEGOS

Gallegos would often say, “What a beautiful day!”

Truly for him all days were beautiful lived in the presence of God and doing his will. On June 8, 1958, Alfonso returned to San Miguel Church, in Watts, Los Angeles, California, to celebrate his first Mass in the parish where he had been an altar server; that day was beautiful.

He was a very pious boy, respectful and well mannered. This is what a childhood friend said about him: “Everything about the church he took seriously. We use to call him “El Santito,” (The little saint). He seemed to be better than us. He was very spiritual and took things more to heart. When people would joke about the church, the priest, the rosary, he would get serious. He would not join in that kind of conversations. When we called him “El Santito” he would just smile.”

He was always involved in the church as a young child as testified by a classmate: “As a child he was involved in the parish. He was in church all the time. He was very religious as a kid; he was always going to church, to Mass or to pray the rosary. He was a good altar boy.” So it was not much of a surprise that Alfonso decided to become a priest.

Gallegos would celebrate his first Mass, the same way he would every Eucharist, “solemn, with tremendous reverence and very devoted,” as stated by the witnesses for his cause of canonization:

“His love of the Eucharist was evident in the reverent celebration of the Liturgy. His voice and his posture were indicative of a deep love of his priestly service to us. Thomas Merton once wrote: ‘You can tell a saint by the way he sits and stands; by the way he picks things up and holds them in his hands,’ this fits Fr. Alphonse.”

“When he celebrated Mass he was an inspiration; he celebrated in a profound way, by the way he would talk. His sermons were simple, but very Christ centered, inviting to faith and conversion. He inspired me to be more devoted to the Eucharist by his example.”

“I liked the way he celebrated the Mass. He was very passionate in the celebration of the Eucharist. What I liked about him was that he was somewhat traditional, things were the way they were supposed to be. I believe he had a great respect for the Eucharist; this is probably why as altar boys we practiced every Friday, until we got it right, how to serve in Mass.”

Alfonso had a great reverence for the Holy Eucharist and lived his life being grateful, knowing all is a gift from God.

The holy card, he had made for his first Mass, on the front it has the Eucharist and a chalice, on the back it reads: “Thank you Lord for my parents and for all who helped me reach your Holy altar.”