Fray Angelico Chavez
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Angelico Chavez, O.F.M. (April 10, 1910 – March 18, 1996), was an Hispanic American
Friar Minor , 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 = , ...
,
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, historian, author, poet and painter. "Angelico" was his pen name; he also dropped the accent marks from this name.


Early life

Born the first of ten children to Fabián Chávez and María Nicolasa
Roybal Roibal, also spelled Roybal and Ruibal, is a Galician surname, later introduced into the Americas . It has its origin in the hamlet of ''Ruibal'', in the municipality of Moraña, Galicia, Spain where 3% of the inhabitants are surnamed ''Ruibal''. ...
de Chávez in Wagon Mound,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, Chavez was
baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
with the name Manuel Ezequiel. He was a 12th-generation New Mexican, whose family had been in the area since the first Spanish settlement of 1598. In 1912, his family moved to
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
, where his father worked for the Panama-California Exposition. The missions he was exposed to in California inspired him to follow in the footsteps of
Junípero Serra Junípero Serra y Ferrer (; ; ca, Juníper Serra i Ferrer; November 24, 1713August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size ...
and the other
missionaries 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 ...
to the Native Americans.


Education

Returning to New Mexico, Chavez attended public schools in
Mora Mora may refer to: People * Mora (surname) Places Sweden * Mora, Säter, Sweden * Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality * Mora Municipality, Sweden United States * Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community * Mora, Minnesota, a city * M ...
, staffed by members of the
Sisters of Loretto The Sisters of Loretto or the Loretto Community is a Catholic religious institute that strives "to bring the healing Spirit of God into our world." Founded in the United States in 1812 and based in the rural community of Nerinx, Kentucky, the ...
. In 1924, at the age of 14, Chavez was admitted to St. Francis Seminary in
Mount Healthy, Ohio Mount Healthy is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The population was 6,098 at the 2010 census. History Mount Healthy was founded in 1817 as the village of Mount Pleasant. In 1 ...
, a suburb of
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
. While at the seminary, Chavez endeavored to improve his English (his second language) through a study of the classic literature of the language. He began writing fiction, essays, and other works at this time, several of which were published in the ''Brown and White'', the student magazine he later edited. As a member of the first class to inhabit the seminary's new dormitory, Chavez was allowed to paint murals of
Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
and
Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...
on its walls. On August 15, 1929, Chavez was received in the
novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
of the Friars Minors and received the Franciscan
habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
. Due to his potential as a visual artist, he was given the
religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should ...
"Frater Angélico" after the Dominican priest and painter
Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...
from
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
. He continued his studies at
Duns Scotus College Duns Scotus College was a private college of the Friars Minor in Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city ha ...
in
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, graduating in 1933. He studied for four more years before being ordained in 1937 at
Saint Francis Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi ( es, Catedral basílica de San Francisco de Asís), commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the mother church of the Arc ...
in Santa Fe, the first native New Mexican Franciscan priest. However, in April 1914, two young women from Nacimiento, New Mexico, Elsira Montoya and Dolores Lucero, first-cousins, entered the Franciscan order at St. Louis, Missouri. They spent the remaining 70 and 75 years of their lives as Franciscan nuns.


Priesthood

Chavez was assigned to the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Peña Blanca and its missions in Jémez Pueblo and Los Cerrillos. At Peña Blanca, he undertook a revitalization of the church building, painting frescoes on its walls. He was his own model for the figure of
Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
, and also used locals and three of his sisters as figure models. He also ministered to the local Indians of
San Felipe Pueblo San Felipe Pueblo ( Eastern Keres: Katishtya, Navajo ''Tsédááʼkin'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States, and is located 10 miles (16 km) north of Bernalillo. As of the 2000 census, the CDP p ...
,
Santo Domingo Pueblo Kewa Pueblo ( Eastern Keres , Keres: ''Díiwʾi'', Navajo: ''Tó Hájiiloh'') is a federally-recognized tribe of Native American Pueblo people in northern New Mexico, in Sandoval County southwest of Santa Fe. The pueblo is recorded as the Santo ...
, and the Pueblo of Cochiti. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Chavez attended the chaplaincy school at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and was placed with the
77th Infantry Division 77th Division or 75th Infantry Division may refer to: * 77th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht), Germany * 77th Infantry Division of Khurasan, Iran * 77th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) * 77th Division (People's Republic of China) * 77th Division ( ...
. He was present for the beach landings of
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
and
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...
. He continued his military service during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
as chaplain at
Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of William Wallace Smith Bliss, LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
, Germany.


Career

Upon his return from the battlefield, Chavez was appointed
archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...
of the
Archdiocese of Santa Fe The Archdiocese of Santa Fe ( la, Archidioecesis Sanctae Fidei in America Septentrionali, link=no, es, Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe, link=no) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the southwestern region of the United States in ...
and undertook the cataloging and translation of its Spanish
archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...
s. This work provided new primary sources that allowed for a reevaluation of the history of New Mexico. He wrote the definitive work on the families of New Mexico, as well as many other works of history, some of which is considered revisionist. For example, his view of the
Pueblo Revolt The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, also known as Popé's Rebellion or Popay's Rebellion, was an uprising of most of the indigenous Pueblo people against the Spanish empire, Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, larger than prese ...
of 1680, unorthodox in its minimization of the role of
Popé Popé or Po'pay (; c. 1630 – c. 1692) was a Tewa religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh (renamed San Juan Pueblo by the Spanish during the colonial period), who led the Pueblo Revolt in 1680 against Spanish colonial rule. In the first successful r ...
and its emphasis on the
mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...
element, was based primarily on previously-unconsidered genealogical data. Chavez' biography of
Antonio José Martínez Antonio José Martínez (January 17, 1793 – July 27, 1867) was a New Mexican priest, educator, publisher, rancher, farmer, community leader, and politician. He lived through and influenced three distinct periods of New Mexico's history ...
(1793–1867), ''But Time and Chance'', was the first of a trilogy of biographies on significant native New Mexican priests. ::''But Time and Chance'' is a scholarly and balanced treatment of the Cura de Taos whose life story had been distorted by some authors. In 1846, General Stephen W. Kearny swore Martínez as the first United States citizen of the Territory of New Mexico. Within six months, however, his political enemies wrongly alleged that Padre Martinez instigated the Taos Uprising of 1847—one of the last events of the US–Mexican War. Padre Martínez was very influential in New Mexico and beyond as a religious figure, rancher, educator, author and publisher, lawyer, and politician. He was in conflict with his superior Bishop Lamy regarding the issue of tithing and other matters. As a result, Martinez suffered ecclesiastical censure in 1858. When he died in 1867, his peers in the Territorial Assembly called him "La Honra de Su Pais", the honor of his homeland. Among the general populace, Chavez is most known for the book entitled ''La Conquistadora, the Autobiography of an Ancient Statue''. This work told the story, in a first-person narrative, of a statue of the Virgin Mary brought from Spain over 400 years ago, through Mexico to New Mexico. The statue resides in St. Francis Cathedral to this day and is an important part of the religious history of the Spanish people of
Northern New Mexico Northern New Mexico in cultural terms usually refers to the area of heavy-Spanish settlement in the north-central part of New Mexico. However, New Mexico state government also uses the term to mean the northwest and north central, but to exclude ...
. Chavez also wrote
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
,
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
s, and poetry. His poem ''The Virgin of Port Lligat'', based on
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
's ''
The Madonna of Port Lligat ''The Madonna of Port Lligat'' is a pair of paintings by Salvador Dalí. The first was created in 1949, measuring 49 x 37.5 centimetres (19.3 x 14.8 in), and is housed in the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University in Milwa ...
'', was selected as one of the best books of 1959 by the Catholic Library Association and was praised by T. S. Eliot as a "very commendable achievement". As Chavez scholar Genaro M. Padilla notes, "despite isoutpouring of history, poetry, and fiction, Fray Angelico Chavez has been largely overlooked as one of the pioneers of Chicano icliterature in century". In 1971, he left the priesthood following a "crisis of faith", but retained his standing as a priest while continuing his writing and research. He returned to the priesthood and the Franciscan Order in 1989 and lived at the friary at the Cathedral in Santa Fe. He died on March 18, 1996, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 85. Chavez was buried in Rosario Cemetery, having earlier refused burial in St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe. The Museum of New Mexico at the
Palace of the Governors The Palace of the Governors ( es, Palacio de los Gobernadores) is an adobe structure built in the Territorial Style of Pueblo architecture on Palace Avenue in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Located within the Santa Fe Historic District along the Santa Fe ...
named the new history and photographic library in his honor following his death, and a bronze statue of his likeness is displayed at the entrance. Judge Harry Long Bigbee was the donor of the statue.Vol 25, No. 2
." ''Bulletin of the Historic Santa Fe Association''. December 1998. Retrieved on August 21, 2009.
In August 2020, the statue along with the walls of the museum were defaced with spray paint. The walls were marked with the words "stolen land" and "1680", an apparent reference to the Pueblo Revolt, an event chronicled by Chavez in what has been criticized as a revisionist interpretation.


Honorary degrees

* Master of Arts,
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
, 1947 * Doctor of Letters
College of St. Joseph on the Rio Grande
Albuquerque, 1963 *
Doctor of Law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...
,
New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...
, Las Cruces, 1973 *
Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...
, University of New Mexico, 1974


Publications


Non-fiction

* ''But time and chance: the story of Padre Martinez of Taos, 1793-1867''. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press, 1981. * ''La Conquistadora: the autobiography of an ancient statue''. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press, 1975. * ''Coronado's friars''. Washington: Academy of American Franciscan History, 1968. * ''My Penitente land: reflections on Spanish New Mexico''. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1974. *''Chávez : a distinctive American clan of New Mexico''. Santa Fe, N.M. : W. Gannon, 1989. ISBN 0-88307-675-6 * ''Origins of New Mexico families: a genealogy of the Spanish colonial period''. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1992.


Fiction

* ''When the Santos Talked; A Retablo of New Mexico Tales -- Drawings by Peter Hurd''. Santa Fe: W. Gannon, 1977. * ''New Mexico Triptych: being three panels and three accounts''. Santa Fe: W. Gannon, 1976. * ''From an altar screen; El
Retablo A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...
: tales from New Mexico''. Freeport, N.Y., Books for Libraries Press, 1969. * ''The Lady from Toledo''. Fresno, California: Academy Guild Press, 1960.


Poetry

* ''The Virgin of Port Lligat''. * ''Eleven Lady-lyrics, and other poems''. Paterson, New Jersey: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1945. * ''Cantares: canticles and poems of youth, 1925-1932''. Edited and with an introduction by Nasario García. Houston: Arte Público Press, 2000. * ''Selected poems, with an apologia.'' Santa Fe: Press of the Territorian, 1969


Bibliographical Resources

https://faculty.ucmerced.edu/mmartin-rodriguez/index_files/vhChavezAngelico.htm


See also

*
Christianity in the United States Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States. Estimates from 2021 suggest that of the entire US population (332 million) about 63% is Christian (210 million). The majority of Christian Americans are Protestant Christians (14 ...


References


Further reading

* Chavez, Fray Angelico, ''The Virgin of Port Lligat'' The Filmer Brothers Press, 1956 * Chavez, Fray Angelico, ''My Penitente Land'' Museum of New Mexico, copyright, 1974 *


External links


Fray Angélico Chávez History Library
at the Palace of the Governors, New Mexico
Fray Angélico Chávez Collection
New Mexico History Museum, Fray Angélico Chávez History Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Chavez, Angelico 1910 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American poets 20th-century American historians American Friars Minor American people of Galician descent 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests American male novelists United States Army personnel of World War II American short story writers Artists from Santa Fe, New Mexico Harvard University alumni Hispanic and Latino American novelists Hispanic and Latino American poets Hispanic and Latino American short story writers Military personnel from New Mexico Neomexicanos People from Mora County, New Mexico Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe United States Army officers Writers from Santa Fe, New Mexico Writers from San Diego American male poets American male short story writers 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers Catholics from New Mexico Historians from California