Bishop Juan Alejo de Arizmendi (July 17, 1760 – October 12, 1814) was a patriot and the first Puerto Rican to be consecrated Bishop.

Early years

Arizmendi de la Torre (birth name: Juan Alejo de Arizmendi y de la Torre was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and there he studied in the convent of the Dominican Friars. He then went to Caracas, Venezuela. where he studied Canonical and Civil Law. He earned his doctorate in the Dominican Republic and on July 16, 1785, was ordained a priest.

First Puerto Rican Bishop

In 1803, the King of Spain, Carlos IV, made a petition to the Catholic Church, to have Arizmendi named Bishop. On March 25, 1804

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

consecrated Arizmendi, Bishop of San Juan. Upon his return to Puerto Rico, Arizmendi dedicated himself to charity. He was especially interested in helping the poor and needy. Arizmendi financially supported the Hospital of the Conception of San Juan, with money from his own pockets. During his free time, he would make baskets of straw and sell them. He would then use the money to buy clothes, food and other items for the poor. Arizmendi, took it upon himself to nurse and to take care of the sick. He was the founder of the Conciliar Seminary in San Juan. In 1804, Rafael Cordero, a Puerto Rican of African ancestry who was to become known as "The Father of Public Education in Puerto Rico", received the sacrament of

Confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

from the hands of Bishop Arizmendi.

Patriot

He was a stern supporter of Ramon Power y Giralt when this Puerto Rican-born veteran of the Spanish navy and past frigate Captain was elected to represent Puerto Rico in front of the Spanish Courts in Cadiz. Arizmendi gave Ramon Power his episcopal ring, "as sure pledge that will sustain you in the memory of your resolution to protect and maintain the rights of our fellow countrymen, as I myself am resolved to die for my beloved flock". For Arizmendi this was also a national symbol of Puerto Rico by joining his country and God in his heart Arizmendi's statement may have inspired the seizure in 1810 of all ecclesiastical stipends by the royal treasury. In 1814, after traveling around the island in his second pastoral visit he fell ill in Hormigueros in whose Hermitage, now the

Basilica Menor de la Virgen de Monserrate In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name t ...

, he desired to be buried. Bishop Juan Alejo de Arizmendi died in the City of

Arecibo, Puerto Rico Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, the ...

on October 12, 1814. His remains are in the

Cathedral of San Juan Bautista Cathedral of San Juan or San Juan Cathedral, and variants thereof, may refer to: North and Central America * Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista (San Juan, Puerto Rico) * Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (San Juan, Pue ...

, in Puerto Rico.

Honors and recognitions

Arizmendi was immortalized by Puerto Rican artist Jose Campeche in a painting in 1803. Puerto Rico has honored Arizmendi's memory by naming schools and avenues after him. The University of Puerto Rico has an Institute of Historic Studies Juan Alejo de Arizmendi. The Catholic Church also has a medal called the "Bishop Juan Alejo de Arizmendi Medal".

References

External links