Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-10-05
FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS
Homage Paid to the Memory of the
Chosen Protector of New
Mexico.
STORY OF The SANITY MANS LIFE
Founder of the Holy Order of Fran
acknowledgements and Makers of
Peace-When They Penetrated
New Mexico.

Merrily were the old bells of thu
cathedral ringing out yesterday, inviting
all to come and render homage to Saint
Francis, the chosen protector of New
Mexico and especially of its capital
Santa Fe.
Saint Francis, born in 1882 in the city
of Assis, situated in the valley of Espo.
leto, Italy, was.the first child Of the opu
lent merchant, Peter hernandez, and his
wife, Pioha. At the baptism he received
the name of John, which his father after
ward changed, at the boys confirmation,
to Francis.
Saint Francis was reared and educated
to become like his father, a merchant, but
tired and disgusted with the mad, aimless
and egotistical rush after earthly riches,
still in the flush of early manhood, he
bade farewell to the pleasures of his ma
tive city, seeking tranq utility in the soli-
tude of the mountains and imperishable
wealth by doing good to his fellow-be
ings. Not many years passed before the
hermit was joined in his holy, self-sacri-
tlcing vocation by Bernard de Quintoval,
one of the most prominent and wealthy
persons in Assis, and by Peter Cathino, a
canon of the cathedral of that city.
This was the small beginning of the
now famous franciscan order, which was
first acknowledge viva voce by limo
cence III in the year 1908, and afterward
confirmed by Honoratius III in his bull
"solst annuere," on the 29th of Novemb Der,
1924. From this second date, the official
existence of the order of the Ssraphlc
Father is counted.
The history of this noble religious
community is intimately linked with the
discovery and conquest of the Americas.
What the grand order of Benedictines
did in Europe for the preservation of
Latin and Greek letters during the stormy
period of the middle ages, the Franciscans
did for the history and traditions of the
aborigines of the new world. Without
the work of these noble fathers our CEN
tury would know still less than it does of
those Kingdoms and nations which the
valor of Cortsz cong uered and his policy
and intelligence retained.
But not only in this respect do the
humble friars stand forth in resplendent
light; still greater are the services rem
dered by them in the sacred cause of
humanity and civilization. To these bare
footed disciples of Christ, more than to
any one else, 10 due the fact that the In
dian of the vast domain of Charles V and
Phillip II was not chased and destroyed
like wild beast, but protected and cared
for.
From May 10, 1924, the day on which
the first company of thirteen franciscan
friars set foot on Americas soil, on the
small island of San Juan dc Ullua, op-
posite Vera Cruz, they never ceased in
their un.iring efforts to procure, not only
the spiritual, but also the material well
fare of those who were by Leon XII's bull
of April 25, 1921, specially put under their
charge the Indians of New Spain.
Franciscans we're the first to raise their
voice against the iniq uities to which their
god-children were subjected, also the
first to establish schools for them. The
first college for Indian youths on the
continent of America was opened by
these friars in Santiago Tlatclolco, a ward
of the City of Mexico, about the year
1881, and its first rector the renowned
historian, fray Bernardino de Sahagun.
The followers of the saint of Assis,
their feet not even protected by sandals,
without any other weapon than the cross,
sailed forth into the most remote regions,
preaching and teaching virtue.
1t was in the middle of the year 1889,
when the bare.footed Franciscan friar,
Marcos de Mia, first looked upon Cibola,
and took possession in the name of the
emperor, OF this by him discovered coun-
try, baptizing it the "New Kingdom of
Saint Francis.
Ffty-nine years afterwards the first
Spanish town was founded in this terri
tory by Onate, on August IL, 1898, and
called the "City of Our Father Saint
Francis"
Frsnciscans were the messengers and
the makers of peace, who accompanied
every expedition from the one of Ooro-
nado to the last one of Vargas. Francis
cause Of religion. The first martyr of
this now populous, industrious and rich
west, was fray Juan dc Padilla. In the up.
rising OF 1861, eighteen MONKS perlsned
at the hands of those to whom they had
taught not only the catechisms but also
arts and trades. Those sanity mission
aries besides instructing their wards
in the faith, also provided them with new
seeds wherewith to plant the soil, intro
duced cattle, horses and sheep into their
missions, improved the already known
trades and directed the Indians in new
ones.
To these monks New Mexico owes it's
vineyards, its wool industry, the manu-
facturt OF the famous Navajo blankets,
besides innumerable other favors.
These humble frisrs we're the defenders,
the teachers and the benefactors during
two centuries OF settlers and Indians
alike.
II is therefore but Just that New Mex.
leans should always gratefully remember
the good conferred upoc their ancestors