Narciso Durán, OFM ( Catalan: Narcís Duran; December 16, 1776 – June 4, 1846) was a Spanish

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friar and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who 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.Thoma ...

. Durán arrived in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 1806 after studying briefly at the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico. He served at Mission San José until 1833, when he moved to

Mission Santa Barbara Mission Santa Barbara () is a Spanish missions in California, Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, California, United States. Often referred to as the 'Queen of the Missions', it was founded by Padre Fermín Lasuén for the Franciscan order on Decem ...

. A the Mission San José he arrested

Jedediah Smith Jedediah Strong Smith (January 6, 1799 – May 27, 1831) was an American clerk, transcontinental pioneer, frontiersman, hunter, trapper, author, cartography, cartographer, mountain man and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the Western Unit ...

shortly and then released him and have him go to Governor José María de Echeandía in

Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...

. Under Durán's leadership, Mission San Jose became one of the most prosperous of the

Spanish missions in California The Spanish missions in California () formed a List of Spanish missions in California, series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. The missions were established by ...

, notwithstanding the devastation for the Chocheño-speaking Natives, and Northern Valley

Yokuts The Yokuts (previously known as MariposasPowell, 1891:90–91.) are an ethnic group of Native Americans native to central California. Before European contact, the Yokuts consisted of up to 60 tribes speaking several related languages. Yokuts ...

who resided at San Jose. His interests included music, which he transcribed himself and assembled a famous band of '' neophytes'' dressed in uniforms obtained from a French vessel. Durán served as the Father-President of the California missions three times, first from 1824–1828, again from 1831–1838 and finally from 1844–1846. During his second term, the Mexican government decided to secularize the missions, and Durán moved to Santa Barbara, which was the only mission not to be secularized.A Companion to California: Newly Revised and Expanded with Illustrations, By James David Hart Durán died in Santa Barbara during his third term as Father-President, and is buried at Mission Santa Barbara.

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* * 1776 births 1846 deaths Roman Catholic missionaries in Mexico Spanish Friars Minor Priests of the Spanish missions in California Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries Franciscan missionaries in New Spain Spanish expatriates in Mexico {{spain-reli-bio-stub