José González Rubio, O.F.M. (June 6, 1804 – November 2, 1875) was a

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

friar of the

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 ...

order, known best for his long tenure as chief administrator of

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 ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

Early life

González Rubio was born in

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

, on June 6, 1804. His Spanish-born parents were José María González Rubio and Manuela Gutiérrez. He had at least two siblings. Upon completing his primary education, González Rubio studied at the Seminario Conciliar of Guadalajara. He continued at the

University of Guadalajara The University of Guadalajara () is a public university, public research university located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was originally established in 1586 and officially founded on 12 February 1791 as the Royal and Pontifical University of Gu ...

, where he graduated on July 20, 1820, with a degree in philosophy. In 1821,

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

gained its independence from Spain. In 1824, he applied to the Colegio de Nuestra Señora de

Zapopan Zapopan () is a city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Zapopan is the largest city in the state. It's best known as the home of the Virgin of Zapopan, an image of the Virgin ...

, seeking admission to the

Franciscan Order 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 ...

. He began his novitiate and was accepted into the Order on January 10, 1825, with the religious name "José María de Jesús" and the title of Fray (Friar).

Missions in California

On February 13, 1833, González Rubio was named to replace Father

Narciso Durán Narciso Durán, OFM ( Catalan: Narcís Duran; December 16, 1776 – June 4, 1846) was a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary. Durán arrived in California in 1806 after studying briefly at the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico. He ...

at the Mission San José 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 ...

, consistent with a policy of replacing Spanish-born clergy with those born in Mexico. He arrived at the Mission two months later to begin his new duties. During his tenure, the Mexican government began to implement a policy to secularize the California missions. In 1842, González Rubio was transferred to the

, eventually becoming its chief administrator. He served as the

Apostolic administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

of the Diocese of the Two Californias after Bishop

Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comm ...

's death in 1846 until bishop

Joseph Alemany Joseph Sadoc Alemany, Dominican Order, O.P. (Catalan language, Catalan: ''Josep Sadoc Alemany i Conill''; July 3, 1814 – April 14, 1888) was a Spanish Catholic Church in the United States, Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Archdioc ...

's appointment as Bishop of Monterey in 1850. González Rubio continued to serve as the administrator of Mission Santa Barbara and came into conflict with the presiding bishop of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, Bishop Thaddeus Amat, over the question of jurisdiction over the Mission. González Rubio argued that the Mission was rightfully under the Franciscan order, not the diocese. During the dispute, the United States annexed California as a result of the

Mexican American War Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

. On March 18, 1865, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

restored the

California missions The Spanish missions in California () formed a 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 Catholic priests of the Franciscan ord ...

to the Catholic Church. The deed to Mission Santa Barbara was given to the diocese, not the Franciscans. González Rubio protested, but Bishop Amat refused to give up the deed to the Mission. However, in 1925, Bishop John J. Cantwell handed the deed over to the Franciscans at Mission Santa Barbara.

Death

Having lived long enough to become the oldest survivor of the early California missionaries, he died on November 2, 1875, at Mission Santa Barbara, where he is interred.

References

Sources

*''Hispanic Catholicism in transitional California: the life of José González Rubio, O.F.M. (1804-1875)'', by Michael Charles Neri, published 1997 by the Academy of American Franciscan History (v.14, history monograph series).

External links

Two Priests
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez Rubio, Jose Mexican Friars Minor People of Alta California Mexican Roman Catholic missionaries People from Guadalajara, Jalisco Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey in California 1804 births 1875 deaths Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic missionaries in the United States Franciscan missionaries in New Spain Roman Catholic missionaries in Mexico