Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-04
ANCIENT FEAST DAY
TO Be OBSERVED
SU DAY
Bit Of History Re-
garding Re-Conquering Of
Santa Fee is Recalled by Feast
Tomorrow.


Especial C0rrespnndence IN Morning ,Ionrnal1
Santa Fe. y. NJ, June 3.-Faithful
to the promise made by Diego de Var
gas on September Il, 1892, according
to the legend, that II he should re-
conquer Santa Re and overcome the
hostile Indians instrenched on What
is now the beautiful plaza of Santa
te, that the statue Of the Virgin Mary
would be carried each year from the
Cathedral to the spot which is now
Rosario chapel, a solemn procession
will be held Sunday afternoon. Hun
dreds and thousands of people will
turn out to see this unique celebration
which will begin at 3 O'Clock.
The statue of the Blessed Virgin
now stands on an altar in a chapel in
the Cathedral. II is an ancient statue
and is said to he the Identical II
possessed by De Vargas who was re-
nowned for his devotion to the Virgin.
The statue will be carried by a num-
her of girls clad in white. The Very
Rev. Father Fourchegu, vicar general,
and other priests of the Cathedral,
win take part in the procession and
open the novcn which viii begin
Sunday in honor of the Blessed Nir-
gin.
The story Of this interesting cere-
mony and how il originated is told by
the Very Rev. James II: Defouri Mt
one time pastor Of the church Of our
Lady of Guadalupe in his book en-
titled, THE Catholic Church in New
Mexico" After telling of Don Diego
De Vargas starting in 1892 from FL
Paso To %reconquer Santa Fe which
had fallen into the hands of the In
dians, the writer saws:
bDa NarnnO carried GNprNWhCrP
with him a statue of the Blessed Nir-
gin Mary, and wherever he stopped,
a little sanctuary was built ana devo-
tons were offered by the army. We
may meet yet several of those places
called by the people los palacios,
among others near Aqua Fria,
five miles west Of Santa Fe.
DE Vargas entered the city by the
road called FL Canine de Vargas, and
stood with his troops near the church
of our Lady of Guadalupe. The rea-
son De Vargas crossed the river was
the greater facility he had Of attack
ing the Indians from the northwest,
the ground being higher and the plaza
being more open on that side. Be-
side what is now lower San Fran
cisco street, was q grove Of trees IN
low, swampv ground, the bed OF the
river not being as deep as II is now.
Thence crossing the Rio Santa Fe
at n place called yet, Puente de Var
gas, he went to the very spot where
now stands the chapel of our Lady Of
the Rosary. and there he erected a
|'palacio. ON the mex day, september
IS, Vargas, with his small troop, at
tacked the Indians who were conferred
on a waste, which is now the beauti-
ful PLACE Of Santa Pc; they had forth
fled themselves, and were reinforced
bv the neighboring pueblos, to the
number of ten thousand. The battle
ragged with great ardor on both SIDES
from four in the morning until night
fan, without apparent result, Then
Vargas. i'm the name of his troops on
Bonded knees. before the statue Of
Mary. made the solemn vow that
should he take the city, every year
that same statue should he brought
in solemn procession from the princi-
pal church in the city to the spot ON
which they were camping, where ne
should build a sanctuary, and there be
left for nine days. the people tlocking
to the chapel to thank Mary for this
victory, attributed to her.
He Attacks Indians.
con the dawn of the next day, De
Vargas attacked with impetuosity the
fortified Indians and drove them from
The nlaza. At S o'clock they re-
tired upon the Iona, north Of the city.
where he attacked them, and by noon
not an Indian was seen in the neigh
borhood.
Faithful to Promise.
Faithful to his promise, Vargas
.ruilt the sanctuary OF our Lady of the
Rosary, and the fulfilment of the vow
commenting then, still continues
every year on the sunday after the
octave of Corpus Christi, by carrying
what is most probably the identical
statue possessed by De Vargas, ana
called by the people Nuesta Sonora
de Ia Victoria (Our Lady of the VIC
tory), in great pemp, with music ana
mons chanting, from the Cathedral OF
ST. Francis to the chapel of the Ros-
airy. For nine laws mass is celebrated
there. the people making daily pii
.grimages in thanksgiving for the favor
received.
"The church built in haste by VAR
pas fell into a ruinous state. and the