Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Nun who stood up to Billy the Kid faces sainthood test. Some "Cowboy History Included".


Note: It has been proven that she could not have "faced down" Billy the Kid. Anyway, the information below comes from the Santa Fe, New Mexican. It proves the cowboy history folks like to believe, and former Santa Fe Archbishop Michael Sheehan who is the one who started this effort seems to be just another cowboy wannabe.

Sister Blandinas 1948 book "At the End of The Santa Fe Trail" published by the Bruce Publishing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a book mostly about Sister Blandina's writings back east to her sister. She never intended them to be published, at least it does not seem so. Personally I think she wanted to make her life appear interesting to her sister and embellished her "heroic" accounts.  

If they make her a saint, so be it. But she liked to exaggerate her accomplishments to the folks she wrote the letters which are the basis of her book. But even I, have to admit that is does make for interesting reading...... 

        Posted: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 3:18 pm | Updated: 4:50 pm, Tue Aug 25, 2015.
ALBUQUERQUE — An Italian-born nun who confronted Billy the Kid, calmed angry mobs and helped open New Mexico territory hospitals and schools faced her first test for the long road to sainthood on Tuesday.

Supporters and researchers presented their case before the Archdiocese of Santa Fe at a ceremonial "first inquiry" in Albuquerque on why Sister Blandina Segale should become a saint. The public inquiry, headed by former Archbishop Michael Sheehan, was aimed at determining if there was enough evidence to move her case through the largely secret process at the Vatican. Witnesses said Segale fought against the cruel treatment of American Indians and sought to stop the trafficking of women as sex slaves. They also testified that in death, Segale has helped cancer patients and poor immigrants who have prayed to her for help.

Victoria Marie Forde of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati said documents showed Segale went out of her way to provide assistance to Italian-American immigrants and protect Mexican Americans facing violence in western territories.

"Sister Blandina as a canonized saint will lead and strengthen thousands of others to see that they, too, can fight injustice with compassion and untiring ingenuity," she said.

Last year, the archdiocese received permission from the Vatican to open her sainthood cause. It's the first time in New Mexico's 400-year history with the Roman Catholic Church that a decree opening the cause of beatification and canonization has been declared in the state, church officials said.
Segale, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, came to Trinidad, Colorado, in 1877 to teach poor children and was later transferred to Santa Fe, where she co-founded public and Catholic schools.

During her time in New Mexico, she worked with the poor, the sick and immigrants. She also advocated on behalf of Hispanics and Native Americans who were losing their land to swindlers.
Her encounters with Old West outlaws later became the stuff of legend and were the subject of an episode of the CBS series "Death Valley Days." The episode, called "The Fastest Nun in the West," focused on her efforts to save a man from a lynch mob.

But her encounters with Billy the Kid remain among her most popular and well-known Western frontier adventures.

According to one story, she received a tip that The Kid was coming to her town to scalp the four doctors who refused to treat his friend's gunshot wound. Segale nursed the friend to health, and when Billy went to Trinidad to thank her, she asked him to abandon his violent plan. He agreed.
Tales she wrote in letters to her sister later became the book "At the End of the Santa Fe Trail."
Peco Chavez, a lawyer who investigated historic claims about Segale stopping a mob attack, said he found evidence the event occurred, but documents couldn't verify if Segale intervened.
"But she was in Trinidad at that time," he said.

Later, Segale founded St. Joseph's Hospital in Albuquerque before returning to Cincinnati in 1897 to start Santa Maria Institute, which served recent immigrants.

Her work resonates today, with poverty, immigration and child care still being high-profile issues, said Allen Sanchez, president and CEO for CHI St. Joseph's Children in Albuquerque, a social service agency Segale founded.

Officials say determining whether Segale qualifies for sainthood could take up to a century. The Vatican has to investigate her work and monitor for any related "miracles."
Those miracles could come in the form of healings, assistance to immigrant children detained at the U.S. border or some other unexplained occurrences after devotees pray to her, officials said.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Nombres En Nuevo Mejico Y La Sagrada Familia

There were numerous individuals named Jesus Maria y Jose, many of them, in the historical period in New Mexico. There were others named Jose Maria, Jesus Maria, Jose Jesus and Jesus Jose. This is not to mention that about 30% of the males, me included, has the name Jose attached, almost like a title instead of a name. The women had Maria attached the same way the men had Jose. There were many Jesusas, Maria Jesusas and Jesusa Maria's as well as Josefa and Josefina's and Maria Josefina's and Jesusa Josefa's.... You get the picture..


When the Americans got here in force, after the American conquest and occupation of the province they were surprised and disgusted that so many "debased" (their words) individuals would be given these names, especially when it seemed to the Americans that everyone had one name or the other. Their disgust with the names comes across real clear when you read the history. They did not appreciate our ancestors devotion to the Holy Family, especially the "Savior's" name itself. On occasion a criminal would show up with one of these names that the Americans found sacrilegious. That would get the writers of history all in a tizzy.


Sort of funny when we look back at it. At the time it was not so funny, especially when it would get the Americans to writing their real thoughts about our ancestors.


Reminds me of the bumper sticker with different meanings for Spanish speakers and American Christians. JESUS SAVES and JESUS SAVE are almost identical and in Spanish America everyone wants to know what Jesus knows.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Those Who Passed Away in Abluquerque! One Days Obituaries. Changed Demographics, Again!


New Mexico, born and raised - Our state bird

From the Albuquerque Journal on August 15, 2015;

1) Bachis - Born in Albuquerque, his mother was a Hispanic New Mexican.
2) Burke - No indication of place of birth nor parents.
3) Durbin-Gonzales - Born in Denver, Colorado and married to a Hispanic, New Mexican.
4) Mora - No indication of where she was born or who her parents were, my guess is she married a local guy named Mora otherwise her New Mexican family would be noted.
5) Morrison - No indication of where he was born or who his parents were,
6) Myers - Lived in Albuquerque at the time he passed away.
7) Rowden - Lived in Albuquerque at the time he passed away.
8) Thomson - Lived in New Mexico and was originally from Port Chester, New York.
9) Wiska - Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1929.
10) Zak - Born in 1938 in Brooklyn, New York.

I find it odd that only individual No. 1, Mr. Bachis has a mother that was native to New Mexico while No. 3, Mrs. Durbin-Gonzales and No. 4, Mrs Mora appear to have been from somewhere else and married New Mexicans.

Aside of the fact that Mr. Bachis is the only one with any roots in New Mexico at all it is also interesting to note that not a single New Mexican born, 100% New Mexican passed away and/or had an obituary in the Albuquerque Journal today.

Now before anyone accuses me of racism or something else let me state that while my ancestors were all from New Mexico, I personally was born in Denver, Colorado and am married to a foreigner, at least foreigner as far as being from New Mexico goes.