Chimes of Mission Bells
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Maria Antonia Field >> Chimes of Mission Bells
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And if the Spanish missionaries did so much what did the Spanish civil
and military authorities and settlers do? To Spanish explorers we owe
the discovery and exploration of California, as well as of South
America, Mexico and other portions of the New World, including the
Pacific Ocean; indeed is it not to Spain and her good Queen Isabella the
Catholic, to whom we really owe the discovery of America by Columbus?
But not to deviate from Spain's work in California, it was the early
Spanish governors who first framed laws and drew up a constitution in
California, and it was they who made the first land grants, it was by
Spanish explorers too that the first maps of California were drawn,
under Spanish rule were many of the present towns and cities founded,
from Spain came the first dawn of refinement and civilization, the first
army and navy, the first artists, musicians, physicians and skilled
workmen, in fine the first white child born in California was born of
Spanish parents settled in Monterey. And what was the record of Spain's
dominion in California? Setting aside unfounded calumnies as absurd as
the one which claims that Philip II passed a law sentencing to death any
foreigner who set foot on Spain's dominions in the New World, relegating
such lies to where they belong, Spain's rule in her New World
possessions, including California was marked by humanity as well as
energy. Cortes, Pizzaro, Vizcaino, Coronado, Menendez, Ponce de Leon,
Cabeza de Vaca, Balboa, as well as the later "pathfinders" governors and
viceroys of Catholic Spain, were men of honor, and sobriety to whose
names no "butcheries and cruelties" may be justly attached.
Perhaps one of the best proofs of Catholic Spanish humanity is the fact
of the preservation of the aborigines of the land wherever Spanish
conquests were made. Take for example, the statistics of the last census
of Mexico which reveal that of a population of 15,000,000 souls
7,000,000 are pure Indian 5,000,000 mestizos or of mixed Indian and
foreign extraction and only 3,000,000 foreigners or of Mexican birth but
of purely foreign extraction. Take, California, Arizona, New Mexico and
other former Spanish possessions of whom the same may be said in
proportion. In these places no Indian reservations are seen as where the
Puritans held sway. If Spain were guilty of the cruelties so falsely
imputed to her, Mexico in particular would be a Spanish or
Latin-American Republic, as it is, she may hardly be termed as such. But
Catholic Spain acted as explorer, civilizer and with her venerable
missionaries sponsor to the conversion of the heathen tribes of her New
World colonies, leaving in them the traces of her enlightenment and
christianity, yes, leaving them monuments of her humanity!
On the absurd and ludicrous application of the term "Spanish" in our
midst to many persons who have no claim to it by either birth or descent
we will not dwell, as we would not cheapen our sketch by stooping to
discuss such ignorance or insult our intelligent readers by writing on
such foolishness, we will only ask their permission to say that many
so-called intelligent people have no conception of the Spanish type,
race or character, but these we will leave "a la luna de Valencia" as an
ancient Spanish saying would express such cases. The California families
of Spanish descent are comparatively few, this being noted especially by
Spanish visitors to California.
But what of Spanish generosity at home, when the missionaries were
toiling for souls in the New World? Many a pious Spaniard in Spain and
in Mexico subscribed immense sums for the missions of California, both
for the Jesuit and the Franciscan missions. Thus we find the pious
Marquis de Villa Puente subscribing $200,000 for "missions, vessels and
other necessities of California." The Duchess of Gandia subscribed
$60,000 for the same purpose in 1767 and many others followed the same
example until the "Pius Fund of the Missions of California" amounted to
over two million dollars. At the time of the Secularization of the
Missions, the Mexican Government confiscated a large remaining portion
of this "Pious Fund." In 1853 the Spanish Archbishop Alemany, then
Bishop of Monterey and successor of Bishop Diego from whom the "Pious
Fund" had been taken, started a litigation which was continued in turn
by his worthy successor Archbishop Patrick Riordan of the archdiocese of
San Francisco, with the good result that Mexico was made to pay the sum
of $43,050 in Mexican currency annually as the interest at six per cent
on the sum of $1,460,682 of the "Pious Fund" which the national treasury
of Mexico had appropriated on the promise of Mexico to act as trustee of
the fund and pay an interest of six per cent which it had failed to pay
since its appropriation at the time of the Mexican regime in California.
Moreover, Mexico had agreed to pay this interest to the object intended
by the donors of the fund, namely, "to the church, for the conversion of
the natives of California, for the establishment, maintenance and
extension of the Catholic Church, her faith and worship, in said country
of Upper and Lower California." The litigation was won through the
intervention of the United States Government which Archbishop Riordan
invoked through his counsel, and decided by arbitrators under the Hague
Convention in 1899. The first payment was made on February 2, 1903.
Perhaps it is not amiss to quote here a small portion of the speech
delivered in Washington, D. C. by Hon. Joseph Scott of Los Angeles on
the occasion of a banquet following the unveiling ceremonies of the
memorial erected in honor of Christopher Columbus by Act of Congress.
Among the speakers present at the banquet were Ex-President William Taft
(then president), Cardinal Gibbons, Speaker Champ Clark, Ex-speaker
Joseph Cannon, Congressman Underwood, Judge Victor Dowling of the
Supreme Court of New York and many other notable men of the nation.
"It affords me unbounded pleasure to have an opportunity to deliver an
expression, feeble though it be, of the sentiments of the Knights of
Columbus of the great West, and particularly of California, regarding
the significance of this great day. Mr. John Barrett of the Pan-American
Union has already given you food for sober thought in the parallel he
has drawn of the marvelous activity and resourcefulness of the
Latin-American republics. Possibly I may be permitted at this time to
inject a suggestion that, despite the remarks of the previous speaker
about Boston as the modern Athens and the seat of universal learning,
"Modern Athens" has nothing in common with the memories aroused by
contemplation of the events which we celebrate today. It may be well to
tell our friends from New England that before the so-called Anglo-Saxon
had set foot as a colonist upon the American soil, the followers of
Columbus had penetrated into the heart of Kansas and gone down as far as
Buenos Ayres. I want to lay stress upon the fact that we have not noted
too emphatically today that it was the great Spanish race, with its
strong and sterling faith, which accomplished this wonderful mission of
civilization. Too long have we endured the stress of so-called history
written by Prescott and others, some of whom ought to have been put in
the Ananias club before they were born. For nearly three centuries the
Spanish race, with its indomitable faith, pursued almost alone its
mission of civilization and evangelization of the aborigines of America.
Before the Pilgrim Fathers had landed on Plymouth Rock, the Catholic
Spaniard had acquired a knowledge of the Indian language sufficient to
enable him to translate the Bible into the Aztec Indian language, so
that the new Indian neophyte could read the story of "God's greatest
Book" in his mother tongue."
The Courage of Catholic Spain
I wish to advise those of you who speak now of a burden of four days and
nights in luxurious Pullman cars to step out on the soil of California
as though you had performed a deed of heroism, that a Spanish soldier,
Cabeza de Vaca, with the courage of primitive Christianity, walked from
Florida to the Gulf of California, though it took him seven years to
accomplish his task; and the wonderfully brave Friar Marcos de Niza
pioneered his way on foot thirteen hundred miles into the heart of
Arizona through deserts and hordes of Apaches, in his efforts to plant
the cross of civilization among the children of the new world. Nay, the
Grand Canyon of Arizona, now one of the greatest natural wonders of the
world, was seen by a young Spanish lieutenant and his twenty soldiers
three hundred years before the Anglo-Saxon took a glimpse at its
wonderful and awe-inspiring beauty. These and other similar facts are
attested by the report of the Bureau of Ethnology of Washington, as well
as by many other reliable authorities, including that singularly gifted
and scholarly student of Spanish history and folk lore, Charles F.
Lummis of Los Angeles, himself a Puritan on both sides of his house for
several generations back. It was the fortitude of this Spanish race,
coupled by its strong devotion to the faith which you and I profess,
which enabled them to solve the Indian problem as it has never been
attempted since. While under our present system of the government of
this United States, the Indian has been an outcast and a derelict to be
robbed and cheated by his white brother, yet on the other hand the
Spanish missionary brought into the life of the simple native of the
new world the wholesome light of Christianity, which made him recognize
in the Red Man the same soul which was made in the image and likeness of
the common Creator of us all. In that spirit of brotherhood and charity
he obtained the confidence and good will of the Indians, almost without
exception, throughout the length and breadth of the countries that he
explored. And while his path was beset with dangers from the grim forces
of nature, and occasionally the crown of martyrdom was given to him by
an unthinking hand of those he was coming to evangelize, yet he faltered
not in his footsteps.
Today the memory of Columbus may be coupled with and attributed, on our
part, to the splendid heroism and Christian fortitude of the great
Spanish race which continued the work of Columbus with all that it
entailed for the betterment of humanity."
In compliance with our promise not to forget the friends of the
missionaries and of their compatriots, of today, we will first speak of
California's wonderful enthusiasm in the celebration of the Bi-centenary
of Junipero Serra's birth. Of the privileged thousands who visited
Monterey on November 23, 1913 and made a pilgrimage to Serra's tomb at
San Carlos Mission, how many will efface that sight from their minds in
years to come? But this awe-inspiring sight to which Reverend Raymond
Mestres and the Franciscan Fathers of San Francisco, contributed so
much, and in which the Third Order of Saint Francis so prominently
participated will be yearly renewed. Ecclesiastical and civil
authorities, towns and cities, individuals, all had the "right spirit."
The accounts of the press were glowing. Mr. Frank Powers of
Carmel-by-the-Sea was California's representative at the celebration
which Spain did not fail to hold in honor of her illustrious son; and
Mr. Powers indeed proved a worthy representative, returning to
California with renewed enthusiasm for the saintly Serra, and his
lectures have been listened to with keen delight. And can any praise
seem superfluous for California's apostles in particular for the saintly
Serra? At the civil exercises, held in Monterey on the occasion of the
celebration we are speaking of, Senator Reginaldo del Valle, of Los
Angeles, Mr. Michael Williams and Mr. Charles Phillips of San Francisco
each paid exquisite tributes to our hero whom the opening lines of Mr.
Phillips' beautiful ode described as:
"A young boy dreaming by the Spanish main:
Knee-high in waving grain
He halts at eve and dreams,
Where green Majorca fronts the cycling sea,
And far worlds ceaselessly
Beckon with passing sail and swinging tide,
And plunging galleons ride
Home from adventure, or away, away
To silken bright Cathay,
Or where dark India her golden treasure yields;
A young boy dreaming in his father's fields,
Who plucks a lily from the bending wheat
And stands with veiled gaze and searching eyes
Pale with some great emprise,
Beyond the homing waters of his isle,
Beyond Majorca's skies;--
And dreams and dreams the while!"
"And they who love him wonderingly ask:
"What lad is this of ours
Who dreams away the hours,
And when the windy night-tide running sings,
So strangely seems
Converse to hold with far compelling things?
Or what these spirit-smiling ecstasies,"
They reverent cry,
"That halt him at his task
And hold him tranced in bright reveries?
Is this our lad, indeed,
Who with such Heaven-given grace--
Ay, with the light of Heaven on his face!--
Makes question of the very world about?"
One of the sweetest features of this day was that hereafter by a decree
of Governor Hiram Johnson, who also did not fail to send a
representative to Monterey in the person of Judge Griffin, November the
twenty-fourth was declared a state holiday. May Serra day long be
welcomed by loyal Californians! We cannot close this chapter after
speaking of the bright constellation of the past which appeared in
California skies so many years ago, and whose traces we so cherish,
without saying a few words about that worthiest of worthy movements to
restore the dear old missions of El Camino Real according to their
traditional lines, here again Reverend Father Mestres of Monterey
deserves the greatest credit in this enterprise, and the Knights of
Columbus of the California councils have proved themselves great helpers
in the plan. King Alfonso, his minister, Senor Juan Riano, the Marquis
de la Vega y Inclan who will be King Alfonso's representative at the
Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, are hearty supporters and sponsors of
this movement, and with cooperation from faithful friends and the
sanction of the Bishop of the diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles, we
have no doubt that these glorious landmarks, some of which have alas too
long been allowed to go to "wreck and ruin" while others are still more
or less neglected, after the cruel years which extinguished their
sanctuary lamps, left their altars bare and their belfries silent save
for the hooting of the night owls, will ere long be in the proper repair
to hand down with pride to posterity; and to further repair these holy
temples and place them under their historical and original plans the
most fitting priests to whom we could entrust them (at least wherever
the necessary satisfactory arrangements are possible) are Spanish
priests, compatriots of their founders, this too would serve to continue
and strengthen the old friendly relations between Spain and California,
and as whatever Spanish priests would take charge of the missions, would
be scholarly men speaking both English and Spanish, the English speaking
congregations would be well served. About three of the old missions are
under Spanish priests now. Let us then not cease our efforts until every
mission cross gleams gloriously in the radiance of the California sun,
until the devotional chimes of mission bells peal forth again from every
silent belfry, until the altar light beams again before each tabernacle
enclosing the Eucharistic Presence, until the empty niches contain again
the images which decked them as of yore, until each tomb of sainted
missionary is restored, until mass is again daily said within these
consecrated walls, and finally until San Carlos of Carmelo is again a
worthier Carmel, "for the greater honor and glory of God" and the
praises of His Virgin Mother once more are sung about this smiling
valley where the Christian Indian children gathered the beautiful wild
flowers of the blooming meadows to adorn the hallowed shrines, ere
chimed the Angelus at evenings mellow glow.
Chapter IX
Reverend Raymond M. Mestres of Monterey Writes Historical Drama--"Fray
Junipero"
Beautiful among beautiful historical dramas is the mission play "Fray
Junipero" written by Reverend Raymond Mestres, pastor of San Carlos
Church (Capilla Real de San Carlos) of Monterey. Many men and women have
undertaken to write about mission times, but we may safely assert that
this good priest so unassuming in what he does, is above all qualified
to handle this subject, being first of all a religious, a native of
Barcelona, the Metropolis of the Province of Catalonia, which can claim
Junipero Serra and so many of the early Spanish missionaries, explorers
and settlers, and being too an artist and scholar in every way
acquainted with the history of the missions, having made it a special
study during his twenty-seven years of residence (as a priest) in four
mission towns of California, twenty-one of which have been spent in that
chief of mission towns, Monterey.
Unbiased, careful of detail and true to history, while not wanting in
artistic setting "Fray Junipero" carries the audience in Act I back to
the College of Fernando, when Junipero Serra received his commission to
come to California as Father President of the Missionaries who were to
christianize that "mysterious vineyard." Act II is a typical picture of
California Indian Life. Act III depicts the landing of Serra and Portola
on the shores of Monterey, the taking possession of the land in the name
of King Carlos III and the celebration of Junipero Serra's first Mass in
Monterey; all facts are taken from the archives preserved in San Carlos
Church, consequently historically authentic. Act IV pictures a piquant
fiesta scene with Spanish dancing, the scene being laid in the Carmel
Valley on the occasion of the baptism of the first white child born in
Monterey. This child was born of Spanish parents, Pasqual and Teresa
Segura and in baptism received the name of Carlos. According to the
records this baptism occurred in May 18, 1782, the ceremony being
performed by Fray Junipero Serra just two years before his death. With
very slight changes in the names this incident is taken from the
archives of San Carlos Mission. Act V represents Fray Junipero Serra
receiving the last Sacraments, his death and the grief of the people.
In writing "Fray Junipero" Reverend Raymond Mestres intended it to
commemorate the Bicentenary of our hero's birth, and was presented for
the first time in Monterey on August 28th, 1913 by local talent. This
will be an annual event at Monterey on the same date, August 28th, which
is the anniversary of Fray Junipero Serra's death. In spite of poor
advertisement the first production of this drama was a decided success.
It was intended to be played three nights, but by request a fourth night
was added.
As this sketch goes to press, the rehearsing of the second year of the
production of "Fray Junipero" begins with great improvement in the
staging, and a greater promise of success as it is now much more widely
known.
May an ancient Spanish Nativity Play for Christmastide, which Reverend
Raymond Mestres intends to translate into English, and which contains
glorious music, and a history of mission times, which this scholarly
pastor of San Carlos Church has in store, soon delight Californians and
California's yearly tide of tens of thousand visitors.
Appendix
Letter of Junipero Serra[7].
"Long live Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
"R. P. Fr. Miguel de Petra.
"My dearest nephew, brother and Sir.
"It was not for want of love that I did not answer some of your letters.
For it was not merely bodily that I left my beloved country. I could
have been communicating with many persons by letters and friends, both
in and outside our order, but, if our minds were constantly intent upon
what we once left, what would be the use of leaving it?
"I wrote a long letter to your reverence after your religious
profession. Besides, your reverence heard of me through the Padre Lector
Verger, who is at present our guardian. I received your letter when I
was among the Gentiles over three hundred leagues away from any
Christian settlement. There is my life and there, I hope, God helping,
to die. When this hour comes, some member of our province will take care
to notify our brethren that they may pray for me, and then, your
reverence will know it. What else does your reverence desire? Your
reverence lives among saints, and, therefore I do not deem you in need
of my advice and counsel, which indeed would be the only justifiable
motive for my writing.
"Let us improve and make good use of our time, let us walk worthy of the
vocation in which we were called, let us work out our spiritual
salvation, with fear and trembling, and that of our brethren, with the
most ardent charity and zeal, and let all glory be to our great God. In
connection with this, I took great pleasure in learning that your
reverence was preaching a mission at Ivisa when Padre Commissary Verger
passed through there. The time given to this apostolic ministry with the
blessing of your superiors, preaching in your words and deeds, hearing
confessions with love and patience, I believe, will be the best and most
fruitful you ever spent.
"Though a lukewarm, bad and an unprofitable servant, I remember every
day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, my only and most dear sister
Juana, your mother, her children, and specially my Capuchin. I hope all
of you do the same for me that the Lord may secure me from all dangers
among these naked and barbarous peoples. Let this be our mutual
correspondence, and let God do the rest.
"And that I may give your reverence some news of my destination, I beg
your reverence to look on the maps of America. You will see in the
shores of the South Sea, most improperly called Pacific, the Peninsula
of California [Lower California]. I was there for a year in the capacity
of President of the Missions already founded by the exiled Jesuit
Fathers. Then followed north along the same coast and just a little
before what is called Cabo Mendosino, you will find in some maps, the
title or name the Port of Monte Rey.
"There your uncle lives, among those poor people. There I went with the
first Christians in 1770. There I sang the first Mass and there I have
been in company with Fr. Juan Crespi until the latter part of August.
Then I left for this college in order to transact some very important
business with the Most Excellent Lord Viceroy concerning the maintenance
and increase of those Christian settlements and the establishment of
those already proposed and planned, or that may be planned.
"Thanks to God, I have been kindly received and given close attention by
His Excellency and he has granted me whatever I have asked of him; so,
God helping, I hope for a quick and very extensive expansion and
spreading of our Holy Faith and of the domains of our Catholic King.
"In addition to one Mission where we spread Christianity in California
[Lower California] which I called San Fernando de Vellixata, there are
five already founded in that far off land; Monterey which said Padre
Crespi and I administer, San Antonio de Padua, twenty-five leagues
distant, with Padre President, Fr. Miguel Pieras and Fr. Buenaventura
Sitjar; that of San Luis Obispo, twenty-five leagues farther away, where
I placed two religious members of the Province of Catalonia, Padre
Juncosa and Padre Cavallier, that of San Gabriel, seventy leagues
farther away towards California [Lower California], for which I
appointed one father from the Province of Los Angeles and another from
that of Andalucia; and finally that of San Diego, which is the nearest
to California [Lower California] though over one hundred leagues
distant, and I appointed as ministers Padre Fr. Francisco Dumetz and
Padre Fr. Luis Jaume. They are all working with earnestness and abundant
fruit in their respective fields of labor.
"When in 1769 I left California [Lower California], I appointed Padre
Palou President of the Missions there and I have not seen him since; but
now these missions, formerly in charge of the Fathers of the Society of
Jesus, are being turned over to the Dominican Fathers. So said Padre
Palou with others, will come to us in order to found the Missions of San
Buenaventura, Santa Clara and San Francisco for which missions I have
already there the ornaments, the sacred vessels, utensils and other
necessary things.
"The number of Christians in those places, where the name of Jesus had
never been spoken, though there are some in all the Missions, still up
to the present, is not very great; because while we have been very busy
building our poor houses, little churches, teaching some children to be
interpreters, and providing other necessary things, our efforts could
not equal our ardent desires.
"Now that things are going, and His Excellency has given, upon my
request, various things of which we stood in the greatest need, I hope
in God, we shall reap abundant fruits from our humble work. And I say
that our work is so-so, such as it is, because, if I told you all we are
doing, it might seem a great thing, when in reality, upon a closer view,
it would seem very insignificant.
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