July 19: Trouble Comes for the Archbishop

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is July 19th, and our story is Trouble Comes for the Archbishop. When Bishop John Baptiste Lammy arrived in Santa Fe in 1851, a few problems awaited him. Corrupt priests openly living with their mistresses. A bizarre fraternal sect practicing ritualized crucifixions, and a laity almost completely unschooled in Catholic doctrine. In the midst of the mess, the last thing Bishop Lammy needed was a Vatican clerical error, but that's what he got.

Lamy, born in France, came to Ohio as a missionary in 1839. Eleven years later, the church created the Apostolic Vicariate of New Mexico and appointed Lamy its leader. Thanks to a shipwreck and other disasters, it took Lamy ten months to reach Santa Fe. When he arrived, he found the local church in shambles, ignored by previous bishops for more than a century. To make matters worse, his clergy refused to recognize his authority.

Their bishop, they claimed, was Bishop Zubiriya of Durango. Hoping to nip the trouble in the bud, Lammy hopped on a horse and rode the thousand miles to Durango. There, he discovered the vacant clerical error. Rome had forgotten to tell Zuberia that his diocese had been redrawn and a new bishop appointed. Neither bishop was happy about the situation, but when Lamy returned to Santa Fe, he carried a letter from Zuberia ordering clergy to obey their new bishop.

Obedience didn't come in a day. Lamy wrestled with rebellious clergy for years. And when he wasn't wrestling, he was either on horseback, traversing a diocese that at one point spanned today's New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, or building parishes, hospitals, and schools.

Nevertheless, in the end, patience won the day, and by the time Lamy retired on July 19, 1885, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe was flourishing. Archbishop Lamy died three years later. His legend, however, lives on in the novel he inspired, Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Bishop Lammy's story reminds us that even in the face of obstacles beyond our control, persistence and faith can transform a community. Today, we can draw inspiration from his example, embracing patience and courage when confronting difficulties in our own lives and communities.

Reflect on a challenge you face today. Pray for patience and guidance, and consider one practical step you can take to address it faithfully and constructively. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, July 20th, for another story of faith and courage in America.