Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-01-31
PATRON SAINT
or Old Albuquerque-A Bit Of Inter
esting History.

We are indebted to Rev. Ceferino
E%nglehart, o. f. NJ, author of the
"Franciscans in California" and the
"Franciscans in Arizona" whom we
thank sincerely, for sending us the
following historical annexation:
Rev. Father:-It appears to me pos
sible TO settle the controversy regard
ing the patron of the church in Old AL
.buquerque, or at least explain in a
satisfactory n the discrepancy
that over this particular is observable
in the parish records.
In March, 1905, Don Francisco Cuer-
vo y Valdez entered upon the dis
charge of his duties as temporary gov.
ernor of 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
five Spanish families founded in 1706
the town of Albuquerque, called so in
honor of the viceroy, and to perpetu-
ate his own name he called it San
Francisco de Albuquerque.
Nevertheless, his action was irreg-
ular, because he only occupied the po-
sition temporarily. the governor hav-
ing been appointed by the king in 1706.
He was Don Jose Chacon Salazar y
Villasenor, who had not arrived yet.
Also because the naming of a mission
or a town %pertained to the viceroy or
another person delegated by him.
When the said Don Francisco Cuer-
vo. y Valdez notified the viceroy of
what he had done, he received in reply
a reprimand for having established a
new town without authority, and the
viceroy himself changed the name of
the locality to that of San Felipe de AL
buquerque in honor of the king, Don
Felipe.
r!ages and deaths, that took place in
Albuquerque, beginning on the 7th
day of August, 1743, the first of a
series which ended in 1776, the name
of San Francisco Javier, as titular
saint of hat church, is not once men,
toned; neither did any of the fathers,
nor any of the c~ustodians who made
periodical visits up to 1776, use any
offer name to designate it than that of
San Felipe.
The first and 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. In order to beg.l a 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 Javier." He done this the first
1776; but on pages 6 and Z. dated April
81, 1777, after having registered the
baptisms of eighteen persons, if l re-
member right, the same father returns
to the same formula, IN this paro-
chial church of San Felipe" and fol-
lowed on afterwards employing it 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.
ticeable in the records Of deaths and
burials, dated June 10, 1776, and 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 c~ustodians, his predecessors,
were mistaken. But he was soon con-
WINGED that he himself was the one
who had erred.
Perhaps your reverence may deem 1t
proper to publish what l 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 it ought to be San
Francisco Javier. l am positive that
If 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 have
let San Francisco Javier enjoy the
honor Of being the patron saint of AL
buquerque.
But the facts are those, | have the
honor OF stating, and submitting to the
consideration of Y. r. From Y. r.
Yours a~ffectionately in Christ,
CEFERINO ENGLEHART.
o. +. M.