Father José Joaquin Jimeno (30 November 1804,

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– 14 March 1856,

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...

) was a Spanish

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 ...

the Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...

. Father Jimeno is known to have traveled with Father Mariano Payeras to San Jacinto, a distant rancho of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in September 1821. He also appears in an 1836 sketch of

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Mission San Gabriel Arcángel () is a Californian mission and historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was founded by the Spanish Empire on the Nativity of Mary September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become twenty-one Spanish mi ...

. From 1838 to 1844, he held the position of ''Presidente'' of the California mission chain and of ''Vicáreo Foraneo'' to the bishop.

Early life and education

Fr. José Joaquín Jimeno was born on November 30, 1804, in the City of Mexico. He received the habit of St. Francis at the College of San Fernando de Mexico, in 1823, after studying at the Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City. He made his profession in the Order in 1824; the exact day is not known. Having completed his studies for the holy priesthood, he was ordained in 1827, when only 23 years of age.

Career

He was immediately sent to

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 ...

and arrived at

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California in September 1827. Being assigned an assistant to Fr. Antonio Peiri at Mission San Luis Rey, Fr. Joaquín remained there from October 1 of that year until about the summer of 1830, when he was transferred to Mission Santa Cruz. His first entry in the Baptismal Register there is dated October 31, and his last bears a date of February 17, 1833, when a Zacatecan Franciscan took charge. Thereupon Fr. Jimeno went to

Mission Santa Inés Mission Santa Inés (sometimes spelled Santa Ynez) was a Spanish mission in present-day Solvang, California, United States, and named after St. Agnes of Rome. Founded on September 17, 1804, by Father Estévan Tapís of the Franciscan order, t ...

, baptizing there for the first time on May 14, 1833. At this Mission, he remained till May 1850 but baptized for the last time on December 8, 1849. While in charge, Rt. Rev. Bishop Francisco García Diego y Moreno on May 4, 1844, opened the first Diocesan Seminary at the Mission, and appointed Fr. J. J. Jimeno its rector. In 1839, the College of San Fernando de Mexico chose him Presidente of the Fernandinos Franciscans in California, and he held the office until the death, in 1846, of Fr. Durán, when he was elected by that College to succeed the deceased as Comisário Prefecto. At the close of the term of six years, he was re-elected. In 1840, Bishop of

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

named Fr. J. J. Jimeno for the southern part of California. When the seminary at Mission Santa Inés was ceded to the Picpus Fathers, Fr. J. J. Jimeno with Fr. Sánchez withdrew to

but both were soon transferred to Mission San Gabriel, Fr. Sánchez attending the parish of Los Angeles. Fr. Jimeno baptized at the Mission from December 8, 1850, till October 11, 1851. Toward the close of 1852, Fr. Joaquín returned to Santa Barbara, where he planned, and finally succeeded in founding the Missionary College of Our Lady of Sorrows in the City of Santa Barbara, and where he died on March 14, 1856, in the odor of sanctity. The entry in the Burial Register reads as follows:— As Comisário Prefecto, Fr. Jimeno had the authority to administer the

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Confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on o ...

when no

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

was in the country. We find him exercising his privilege at least once at

Mission San Juan Capistrano Mission San Juan Capistrano () is a Spanish missions in California, Spanish mission in San Juan Capistrano, California, San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California, Orange County, California. Founded November 1, 1776 in colonial ''The Califo ...

on August 2 and 15, 1850, when 132 persons were confirmed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jimeno, Jose Joaquin 1804 births 1856 deaths People of Alta California Roman Catholic missionaries in Mexico Spanish Franciscans Priests of the Spanish missions in California Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries Spanish expatriates in Mexico