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Jean Baptiste Lamy ( 1814 – 1888 ), was the first Archbishop of Santa Fe . Willa Cather 's book Death Comes For The Archbishop is based on his career. Lamy was born on October 11, 1814 in Lempdes, France . He made his classical studies in the preparatory seminary of Clermont and his theological course work in the grand seminary of Mont Ferrand, where he was ordained a priest in December 1838. After a few months as an assistant priest in his native diocese, in 1839 Lamy asked for and obtained permission to answer the call for missionaries of Bishop John Baptist Purcell , of Cincinnati. As a missionary in the New World, Lamy labored in several missions of Ohio and Kentucky, when, to his surprise, he was notified of his appointment as bishop of the recently created Vicariate of New Mexico on July 23, 1850. After an arduous journey, Lamy reached Santa Fe in the summer of 1851. Lamy’s early efforts as Bishop were directed to the building of more churches in the territory, the creation of new parishes and the establishment of schools. On February 12, 1875, the Diocese of Santa Fe was elevated to an Archdiocese with Bishop Lamy as its first Archbishop. Lamy was responsible for the construction of the Cathedral Basilica Of Saint Francis Of Assisi (commonly known as St. Francis Cathedral) and Loretto Chapel. Both buildings were built in the style of the Romanesque churches of France familiar to Lamy. Lamy died on February 14, 1888 and is buried under the sanctuary floor of the Basilica. A bronze statue, dedicated in 1925, stands in his memory outside the front entrance of the Basilica. Lamy was succeeded as Archbishop of Santa Fe by Jean Baptiste Salpointe . SOURCES Salpointe, Jean Baptiste, ''Soldiers of the Cross; Notes on the Ecclesiastical History of New-Mexico, Arizona and Colorado'', Documentary Publications, Salisbury, N.C. 1977 (originally published 1898). Archdiocese of Santa Fe {Link without Title} |
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