Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-02-07
PATRON SAINT
OF Old f.5Uquerque--A Bit Of Inter.
Getting History.

w aie indebted to Rev. Ceferino
InGlchar,, o. f. NJ, author of the
"Fianclscans in California" and the
"lGn-.scans in Arizona" whom we
thank sincerely, for sending us the
following historical annexation:
Roy. Father:--lt appears to me pos
sibla 20 settle the controversy regard
ing tha patron Of the church in Old Al
buouc que. or ct least explain in a
Satisfactory manner the discrepancy
that over t1is particular is observable
in the parish records.
J. 70 on, 1906, Don Francisco Cuer.
vo y tal'cs entered upon the dis
charge Of als duties as temporary gov.
emo. Ct New Mexico. by order of the
viceroy. until such time as the mon
arch himself would name the governor
definitely.
That gentleman with thirty or thirty.
Ave Spanish families founded In 1906
the town Of Albuquerque, called so In
honor of the viceroy and to perpetu-
ate his own name he called il san
Francisco de Albuquerque.
Nevertheless. his action was irreg.
ular. because he on,y occupied the po-
sition temporarily, the governor hav-
ing been appointed by the king in 1906.
He was Don Jose Chacon Salazar
Vllasenor, who had not arrived yet.
Also because the naming of mission
or a town pertained to the viceroy or
another person delegated by him.
Wh,a thc sad Den Francisco Cuer.
vo y valdez notified tle vie roy of
what he h1u done. he received IN reply
a repI.mand for having established
new town without aUtao. ity, ana the
viceroy himself changed the name of
the locality to that Of San Felipe de AL
buquerque In honor Of the king. Don
Felipe
In .he records of baptsms. mar.
r!ages and deaths. that took place in
Alhuquel que. beginning on the eth
day Of August. l7i3, the first Of
series which ended In l77G, the name
of San Francisco Javier as titular
saint Of that church. is not once men.
TONED; neither did any of the fathers,
nor any of the custodians who made
periodical visits up to 1776, use any
other name to designate IL than that of
San Felipe.
The first aid only father who EN-
ployed the name of San Francisco ia
vier as titular saint OF the church Of
Albuquerque. was Father Manuel Gar
cha. la order to begin n new series OF
baptismal records. because the first
series were already full. that father
began each record with the words.
In this parochial church OF San Fran
cisco Jayier." He done this the first
time about the middle OF October.
l776; but on pages and Z. dated April
81. l777, after having registered the
baptisms of eighteen persons, II re.
member right, the same father returns
to the same formula. "ln this paro.
chial church of San Felipe" and fol.
lowed on -sterwards employing II as
the fathers who preceded him had
done. and also his successors; so also
in the records OF marriages on page s.
dated April 2, 1777. he again uses the
name of San Felipe. instead OF San
Francisco Javier. after having omitted
doing so for nine months.
The first time the change was no
Ia, "A.
burials. dated June 10. l776. anu the
last on the End day of April 1777.
The fact of Father Garcia having
written San Francisco Javier" instead
of san Felipe" may be explained only
by saying that he believed all the faith
ers and custodians. his predecessors,
were mistaken. But he was soon con.
vinced that he himself was the one
who had erred.
Perhaps your reverence may deem 1t
proper to publish what have written
In the Revista. as the fathers of Albu.
querque manifested to me some doubt
in regard to the patron saint OF their
church. thinking 1t ought to be San
Francisco Javier. am positive that
II the king of Spain had remembered
that there was another locality named
San Felipe on the banks OF the Rio
Grande. he or the viceroy would haze
let San Francisco Javier enjoy the
honor Of being the patron saint OF Al.
buquerque.
But the facts are those. l have the
honor of stating. and submitting to the
consideration of Y. II. From Y. r.
Yours affectionately In Christ,
CEFERINO FNGI EHART