Father José Bernardo Sánchez (September 7, 1778 – January 15, 1833) was a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

in colonial Mexico and Alta California.

Early life

Born in Robledillo de Mohernando,

Old Castile Old Castile ( es, Castilla la Vieja ) is a historic region of Spain, which had different definitions along the centuries. Its extension was formally defined in the 1833 territorial division of Spain as the sum of the following provinces: Sant ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, Sánchez became a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

on October 9, 1794. In 1803 he joined the missionary

College of San Fernando de Mexico The College of San Fernando de México was a Roman Catholic Franciscan missionary college, or seminary (''Colegio Apostólico''), founded in Spanish colonial Mexico City by the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor on October 15, 1734. The institution w ...

in the

Viceroyalty of New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Amer ...

(colonial México).

California Missions

He traveled on to

Las Californias The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican sta ...

the next year, 1804, where he worked at the following missions: *

Mission San Diego de Alcalá Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá ( es, Misión San Diego de Alcalá) was the second Franciscan founded mission in The Californias (after San Fernando de Velicata), a province of New Spain. Located in present-day San Diego, California, it ...

(1804–1820) *

Mission La Purísima Concepción Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

(1820–1821) * Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (1821–1827) In 1806, as chaplain, Father Sánchez accompanied a military expedition against the Californian indigenous peoples. In 1821, with "Father-Prefect"

Mariano Payeras Mariano is a masculine name from the Romance languages, corresponding to the feminine Mariana. It is an Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variant of the Roman Marianus which derived from Marius, and Marius derived from the Roman god Mars (see als ...

he went with an exploring expedition into the interior of Alta California to search for new mission sites. During the winter of 1826-1827, as head of the San Gabriel mission, Sánchez hosted the party of explorer Jedediah Smith, the first ever to travel overland to California from the United States. Most of the group stayed at San Gabriel while Smith traveled to San Diego to report to ''Jefe Político'' (governor) José María Echeandía.Smith, J. S., & Brooks, G. R. (1977). ''The Southwest expedition of Jedediah S. Smith: His personal account of the journey to California, 1826-1827'', p.99. Glendale, Calif: A. H. Clark Co. From 1827 to 1831 Father Sánchez reluctantly held the position of ''Presidente'' of the California mission chain and of '' Vicáreo Foraneo'' (archbishop) to the bishop. He was a very pious and energetic missionary, but dreaded the office of superior. His incessant appeals for relief were at last granted, but he survived only two years.

Opposed secularization

During his term he vigorously opposed the Mexican government's secularization scheme, which was strongly supported by Governor Echeandia. In a long series of critical notes he claimed that the plan would result in the destruction of the missions and the ruin of the neophytes. "''As far as it concerns me personally''," he wrote, "''...would that it might be tomorrow, so that I might retire between the four walls of a cell to weep over the time I wasted in behalf of these unfortunates''." It has been said that the sight of the inevitable ruin hastened his death. His remains were buried at the foot of the altar of San Gabriel Mission.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Jose Bernardo Priests of the Spanish missions in California 1778 births 1833 deaths People of the Californias People of Mexican California Spanish Franciscans Spanish military chaplains Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries People from the Province of Guadalajara 19th century in Los Angeles Roman Catholic missionaries in Mexico Roman Catholic missionaries in New Spain 19th-century Spanish military personnel