East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-12
Altar TO Celebrate Victory.

AItuf 10 SeleDfhte NlCtOfy.
Twelve years later. in 1892. the
viceroy at the City of Mexico sent
Don Diego de Vargas, a bold and
crafty warrior, with about 800 mount
ed men, to recover authority. Don
Diego was a very pious man, and he
brought with him an image of the
Holy Virgin, about the size of n J.
year-old child. and the images Of
saints When he reached the outskirts
of the city of Santa Fe he set up an
altar on the sands, called all of his
men to prayer, and after high mass
had been celebrated. he made a vow
which was confirmed by every man in
the little army that If the Holy Virgin
would go with them into the battle the
next day and permit them to recap
ture the city they would erect chapel
in her honor where the altar stood and
they and their children and their
children's children, so long as one
should live, would celebrate the an
niversary with proper formalities.
Don Diego won the fight. He cap
tured the city and slaughtered the In
dians without mercy. Then he kept
his vow. and it has been kept by his
| descendants and the people of Santa
Fe ever since. 1t is called 1.-The FeasJ
of La Sonora de Conquistadora"-
Virgin of the Victory-and the chapel
was called la Rosario" in recogni-
ton of the VOW
About a hundred years ago the
! chapel was burned. The image was
saved. but lost its head in the fire. II
was afterwards provided with a new
one brought from France. 1t is made
of wax, with pink cheeks, bright blue
eyes and faxed hair. like pretty
doll Since the fire 1t has been kept
upon the altar of the cathedral in
which Don Diego de Vargas is buried
His coffin is sealed up in the ancient
walls behind the altar. You can de-
| cipher the inscription. So the soldier
and the image he adored are under
the same roof. The other images are
scattered, Mrs. Prince. wife of the
former chief Justice has the cloth
which snread upon the altar
erected in the desert-a beautiful
piece of brown and gold embroide ry
hangs over her drawing room door
Even since the chapel of La Rosario
was burned and rebuilt the image has
been carried there from the cathedral
oil the anniversary day, attended by
ali cf the priests and Catholic popu-
lation of the city. 1t is allowed TO :e-
main at La Rosario for a week. and
the next Sunday is carried back again
attended by a similar escort, to the
cathedral. While the image is Mt Ii
Ro ario the church is kept open every
night, so that pious souls NAV &c
there to pray and make vows.
We saw the procession yesterday
Nearly every one of the Catholic
population of Santa Fe participated
men, women and children-mar-
parishes to which they belong. A
band of music led playing spirited
airs; the children sang hymns and
the priests read from their prayer
\ books as they marched along through
| the dust.
Little girls dressed in white had
baskets of flowers which they scat
terd in the roadway in front of the
Virgin, which was carried on the
shoulders of four men. The image
was dressed like bride and wore
costly jewels. At one time 1t Is said
to have been very rich and to have
had lands and herds and flocks. and
much treasure and Jewels. but the
money has been dissipated and 1t has
little left but the love and reverence
| OF the people.
Old and New Santa Fe.
One of the most attractive features
of Santa Fe is the contrast between
the old and the new. In some re-
spects It is very modern city. Its
educational facilities are particularly
good. The Catholics have a number
OF notable institutions here. both for
young men and for young women, and
| Katherine Drexel-"Mother Kath.
erine"-has founded an Industrial
school for girls. There is college
for young men, with high reputa.
ton, under the immediate care of the
archbishop, who resides here.
Santa Fe has greater social advan.
tages. perhaps than any other city II
the territory: although the removal o.
| Aho t,,ilitoyx, hoo dn,,a ,.i ar, ,,,aa n n.on.