# Padre Gallegos — Death Comes for the Archbishop character guide

> Padre Gallegos in Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Gallegos, Father Gallegos

**First appearance:** 0006-iii-the-bishop-chez-lui

## Snapshot

A smooth, twinkling priest in Albuquerque who confirms infants, feigns gout, and prefers the closed carriage of a rich widow to the missions.

## Who they are

Padre Gallegos lives in scandalous comfort, dining every Sunday at a wealthy lady's hacienda and dancing a few nights before receiving his Bishop with one foot bandaged in an Indian moccasin. He explains away his neglect of Ácoma with talk of unreclaimed heathen and missing keys, and the Bishop finds him engaging as a man but impossible as a priest. His suspension becomes Father Latour's first hard lesson in reforming a diocese where charm and self-satisfaction have long stood in for discipline.

## In the story

### [The White Mules](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/chapters/i-the-white-mules)

Mentioned in conversation as a rich priest who gambles and plays poker.

### [Book III: The Mass at Ácoma](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/chapters/book-iii-the-mass-at-coma)

The genial but scandalous priest of Albuquerque, who avoids accompanying Latour on his journey by feigning gout.

### [The Wooden Parrot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/chapters/i-the-wooden-parrot)

The genial but scandalous priest of Albuquerque who dances, gambles, and keeps a rich widow; Latour plans to suspend him.

### [II: Jacinto](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/chapters/ii-jacinto)

Mentioned in Jacinto's thoughts as someone the Bishop interacts with appropriately, contrasting with other white people who put on a 'false face'.

### [Book IV: Snake Root](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/chapters/book-iv-snake-root)

Suspended from his parish in Albuquerque, replaced by Vaillant.

### [The Night at Pecos](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/chapters/i-the-night-at-pecos)

Suspended from his parish in Albuquerque, replaced by Father Vaillant.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/characters/padre_gallegos
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/death_comes_for_the_archbishop_se/characters