Saturday, March 17, 2007

Father Albert collapses during Mass, dies

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Peralta Father Robert "Albert" Gallegos, known to many as the poet priest, lived his life in faith, devoted to God and to humanity.

He died after collapsing Thursday morning while celebrating the morning Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Peralta, a parish he served for the past 11 years. He was 70 years old and had been a priest for 42 years.

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The Jarales native left his home at the young age of 14 to attend the seminary, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Moises.

"I missed him so much when he left — probably as much as I miss him now," said his younger brother, Father David Gallegos.

Father Albert's personal secretary, Katherine Salazar, was attending the Mass Thursday morning and said that the 8 a.m. services started several minutes late because he had accidentally overslept.

"When he didn't show up, one of the sacrastines walked over to his house and woke him up," Salazar said. "When he walked in, he seemed fine. He came in with a smile as if to say 'Shame on me for being late'.

"He greeted everyone and the Mass began," she said. "After the first reading and responsorial psalm, we stood up. He was sitting there and, all of a sudden, we saw that the missalette fell off his lap."

Salazar said Father Albert's head first fell forward and then back and several parishioners ran to him and placed him on the floor. She said while someone was giving him CPR, she called 911.

Paramedics worked on the priest for about 20 minutes before taking him to Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Salazar said the entire parish is in shock and in mourning.

"He was such a social butterfly," Salazar said of Father Albert. "He would always tell us he was going to get to heaven by one cookie at a time. He was notorious for his cookies. He would sometimes stay up until three o'clock in the morning baking cookies — huge cookies he made from cake mix filled with piñons, raisins or fruit.

"He also used to make pecan pies — 20 to 30 at a time," she said.

Father David said his brother learned how to bake when he was young while working at Gil's Bakery in Belen

The night before his death, Father Albert spent the evening with his brother, Alfred, and his wife, Virgie. They had gone to dinner — he wanted breakfast — and then went home. Virgie said he didn't let them leave without his famous cookies.

"He never let us leave without something," Virgie said. "That was how he was."

His older sister Mary said her brother's compassion was incomparable; he never turned away anyone in need of help. She said he was always very generous, giving money to people from his own wallet.

"He was a giver," she said. "Whatever he had, he would give to someone who needed it."

Growing up in Jarales on the family farm, Father Albert had a knack for gardening. When he returned home in the mid-'90s, he cultivated an acre of land, growing Anasazi beans.

"He love to garden," said his older brother, Manuel. "People used his beans to made rosaries."

One of the fondest memories his other brother Nestor had is when they'd have family gatherings at the family farm and Father Albert would always hide treats for his nieces and nephews in what he called the "Magic Tree."

"He would hide candies — all sorts of candies — in the trees," Nestor Gallegos said. "He would always get there an hour before everyone else and put the candies in the tree. They knew they were there, but they couldn't get them until he told them."

Father Tim Martinez, the Chancellor of the Santa Fe Archdiocese, said Father Albert was a blessing to the church, and he extended his sympathy to Gallegos' brothers in the Servite Order, his parish and his family on behalf of Archbishop Michael Sheehan, who is currently out of the country.

"He was certainly a man with a great sense of community and an ability to get to the heart of the matter," said Father Martinez, who grew up in Belen and knew Father Albert personally. "He was a wonderful leader who blessed his parish and led them at the same time. He gave himself to his parish, and he had been such a servant to the community. He will be greatly missed."

Edward Archuleta, head of the parish's pastoral council, last spoke to Father Albert after Mass on Sunday. He said while Gallegos had been ill for a while, he seemed to be in high spirits that day.

"We're all in shock right now," Archuleta said. "We're in mourning, and it's a terrible loss to our parish. His death is like a story of a saint — he died doing what he loved."

In speaking to some of the parishioners, Archuleta said Father Albert seemed to be preparing to depart over the past couple of weeks. He said while Father Albert was always uplifting, he would speak about his destiny and going to heaven.

"He always said that the blessed dead are standing around and watching, so with that, he'll always be with us," Archuleta said.

Known for his love of the written word, it was not uncommon for Father Albert to recite poetry from the pulpit. He always had a message through his poetry, Archuleta said.

John Taylor, the parish's official historian, said Father Albert was a man who loved to tell stories — sometimes over and over again, he joked.

"They were all special and very meaningful," Taylor said. "His stories and poems were something that I will always remember. He was a very warm and engaging pastor and clearly devoted to the church and to his Lord, and he conveyed that and brought that sense to all (with whom) he interacted."

Ellen Santistevan, a lector and head of the altar service ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe, was one of many who were impressed by Father Albert's humanity and compassion. She said that he not only encouraged spirituality, but led his congregation by example.

"He was just so welcoming," Santistevan said. "He was so good to the children and made a place for them at every Mass. They'd be invited to participate, and he would get them to sit up in front and let them be a part of what was going on."

Not only was Father Albert a wonderful speaker, Santistevan said, but he had a very good sense of humor and would, at times, burst into song.

"The biggest advice he gave to people was to just love each other," she said.

Santistevan's husband, Mark, a Eucharistic minister with the church, said he, along with his family and his fellow parishioners, will deeply miss Father Albert and his guidance. He said the entire parish is a very close-knit community thanks to his leadership.

"He was a wonderful and open-armed priest and a good friend to our family," Mark Santistevan said. "We're going to miss him a lot. Even though we'll miss him, I know he's in a better place. I don't mourn for him; I'm happy for him. He spent his life being a priest in hopes of attaining heaven."

Father Albert will lie in state at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, on Sunday, March 18, at noon, followed by a rosary at 1 p.m. Following the rosary in Peralta, Father Albert will again lie in state at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church on Sunday, March 18, at 3 p.m. followed by a rosary at 4 p.m.

A final visitation will be held at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church, on Monday, March 19, at 10 a.m. with a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 11 a.m. with his brother, Father David Gallegos, officiating.

I don't mourn for him, I'm happy for him. He spent his life being a priest in hopes of attaining heaven."

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