Sacramento play will honor beloved California bishop. Could he become the next saint?
Sacramento community members are performing a play this week on the life and unforeseen death of a revered Mexican American bishop, who may become the Catholic church’s next saint.
The play, “Burnt Tortillas,” tells the story of Alphonse Gallegos, a visually impaired child that became known as the “Bishop of the Barrio.” As California’s first Mexican American bishop in roughly 130 years, Gallegos was famous for his farmworker advocacy, bilingual education and lowrider blessings. He died in 1991 in a traffic accident.
The Sacramento play is scheduled for Feb. 11 and was written by Richard Alcala, who met Gallegos in 1979.
“My goal is to keep his legacy alive,” said Alcala. “I don’t want people to forget him.”
About the play
A native of Sacramento, Alcala met the bishop while cruising his lowrider on Franklin Blvd. in front of St. Rose’s Church. At this time, Gallegos had gained his reputation for blessing cars. Alcala called Gallegos a father-figure for much of the community.
A few years later, Gallegos was named Sacramento’s auxiliary bishop. He remained in the position until his death.
Alcala wrote the play in 1995 to remind the community of Gallegos’ legacy. The performance sold out with 600 attendees. That same year Alcala was diagnosed with cancer and HIV.
He rewrote the play 12 years later, which again sold out. In 2020, Alcala planned to have the play performed a third time, to another already sold out crowd, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the production.
Could Gallegos become a saint?
The latest play comes during an ongoing effort to grant Gallegos sainthood, the highest honor given to an individual by the Catholic church. His cause for sainthood began in 2005, and his body was transferred to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in 2010 as part of the process.
In 2016, Pope Francis recognized Gallegos’ achievements and proclaimed him as Venerable Bishop Alphonse Gallegos. To complete the sainthood process, church officials say two miracles that can not be explained by science must be attributed to Gallegos.
The sainthood process has become rare, and can sometimes take hundreds of years.
More than 30 years after his death, Gallegos remains beloved in the community. Last October, hundreds of people gathered in South Sacramento to honor his passing at “The Bishop’s Cruise.” Alcala also led that remembrance.
“The misunderstanding is that it’s solely a religious play and it’s not,” Alcala said. “It’s more about a man and the dedication to his profession.”
Showtimes, tickets, and an intermission with Mariachi music
The play will be shown twice, at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., on Saturday at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, 2791 24th St.
During a two-hour intermission, attendees will have an opportunity to meet Gallegos’ family and listen to Mariachi music.
Tickets are $25 for general admission, and $10 for seniors and children under 12. Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite (https://bit.ly/burnt-torillas). A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home.
This iteration of the play will be directed by Richard Falcon, the founder of a local bilingual theater company. It will feature several children who are part of the Arte De Amar theater group.
This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
