Jean-Baptiste Lamy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend Jean-Baptiste Lamy |
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| Archbishop of Santa Fe | |
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| Church | Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi |
| Archdiocese | Santa Fe |
| In Office | July 29, 1853 – July 19, 1885 |
| Successor | Jean-Baptiste Salpointe |
| Other posts | Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico (1850–1853) Bishop of Santa Fe (1853–1855) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 11, 1814 Lempdes, Puy-de-Dôme, France |
| Died | February 13, 1888 (aged 73) Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Jean-Baptiste Lamy (born October 11, 1814 – died February 13, 1888) was an important French-American Roman Catholic church leader. He became the very first Archbishop of Santa Fe in New Mexico.
His life and work inspired the famous novel Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. In the book, his name was changed to "Jean-Marie Latour" for the story. Another book, Lamy of Santa Fe by John Horgan, also tells his story. Sometimes, he used the English version of his name, John Baptist Lamy.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Jean-Baptiste Lamy was born in a town called Lempdes in France. This town is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of a bigger city, Clermont-Ferrand.
He studied to become a priest at schools in Clermont and Montferrand. There, he learned from a group of priests called the Sulpician Fathers.
Becoming a Priest and Missionary
Lamy officially became a priest on December 22, 1838. After working for a few months in his home area, he decided to become a missionary.
In 1839, he moved to the United States to help Bishop John Baptist Purcell in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Leading the Church in New Mexico
As a missionary, Lamy served in several places in Ohio and Kentucky. Then, in 1850, he received a big surprise. Pope Pius IX chose him to be the bishop of a newly created church area in New Mexico. This area was called the Apostolic Vicariate of New Mexico.
He officially became a bishop on November 24, 1850. Archbishop Martin John Spalding of Louisville led the ceremony.
After a long and difficult journey, Lamy arrived in Santa Fe in the summer of 1851. Many French people had explored and settled in New Mexico before him. French priests also played a big role in the Catholic Church there for many years.
Lamy arrived in Santa Fe on August 9, 1851. He was welcomed by the governor and many citizens. However, a local Spanish priest named Juan Felipe Ortiz said that he and other priests did not accept Lamy's authority. They wanted to remain loyal to Bishop José Antonio Laureano de Zubiría from Mexico.
Lamy wrote to Bishop Zubiría to explain the change. When he didn't get an answer, he traveled all the way to Durango, Mexico, to meet him. Lamy showed him the official document from the Pope. Bishop Zubiría then agreed to inform the priests in New Mexico about Lamy's new role.
Building the Church in Santa Fe
On July 23, 1853, the church area in New Mexico became the Diocese of Santa Fe. Lamy was appointed its first bishop.
As bishop, he worked hard to improve the church in New Mexico. He focused on building more churches and creating new parishes (local church communities). He also started new schools. He helped local priests follow church rules more closely. He also worked to guide local religious groups within their communities.
From 1869 to 1870, Lamy attended the First Vatican Council. This was a very important meeting of Catholic leaders from around the world.
Lamy was in charge of building two famous churches in Santa Fe: the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (often called St. Francis Cathedral) and the Loretto Chapel. Both churches were built in French styles that Lamy knew well. The Cathedral looks like old Roman buildings, and the Chapel has a Gothic style.
On February 12, 1875, the Diocese of Santa Fe became an archdiocese. This made it an even more important church region, and Lamy became its first archbishop. On May 1, 1885, Lamy helped make Peter Bourgade a bishop. Bourgade later became the fourth Archbishop of Santa Fe.
Lamy retired from his role as archbishop in 1885.
Later Life and Legacy
Archbishop Lamy passed away from pneumonia in 1888. He is buried under the floor of the St. Francis Cathedral.
A bronze statue was placed outside the Cathedral in 1915 to honor him. The village of Lamy, New Mexico, was also named after him. This village is near where the stone for the Cathedral came from.
Jean-Baptiste Salpointe, also from France, took over as Archbishop of Santa Fe after Lamy.
The Archbishop Lamy's Chapel in Santa Fe, built in 1874, is still standing today. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop tells a fictional story based on his life. It describes his missionary journeys and how he helped build the Santa Fe cathedral.
See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe
- Roman Catholic Church
- Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
- Loretto Chapel
