Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Returning to the recently renovated San Fernando Cathedral in the heart of San Antonio is a real treat. Founded in 1731 by the 15 families from the Canary Islands enticed to settle here by the king of Spain's offer of land and a patent of nobility, this church is the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the United States. It has survived floods, arrows, a devastating fire in 1828, and bullets. Pews floated out onto the streets along with zoo animals in the great flood of 1921. In 1872 the dome collapsed. The Canary Islanders, whose descendants' association is active today, first held services in the presidio barracks. It has been said the richly glittering (from 15,000 sheets of 24 carat gold foil) main altar is what the Islanders would have built had they had the resources.
Our guide Darlene Regalbuto gave us a wonderful tour. Her faith and love for the sanctuary enhanced the wonderful stories she told.
El Christo Negro Milagroso near the main entrance is cherished by those whose prayers have been answered. Photos and notes paper the wall beneath the figure. Flowers are left in gratitude on the floor under the figure.
The baptismal font, a gift from the king of Spain in 1760, has been moved to the rear of the nave and a larger pool for adult baptisms added. Some people objected to moving the altar table forward so the celebrant is surrounded by worshippers on three sides. A brass marker on the floor in front of the new wooden altar denotes the location of the entrance to the original chapel. The old altar rail has been removed to allow for better use of space.
The paired stained glass windows are alight in glorious color with the new protective shielding. Wooden carvings from 1874 depicting the stations of the cross procede along the sidewalls under the marvelous windows. With the cleansing of the stone and greater light filtering in the sense of age of the cathredal is replaced by breathtaking beauty.
The mighty organ reflects a southwestern simplicity although built by the same German family who made the organ in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
A deranged man destroyed many of the original statues, thinking them objects of idolatry. The new Pieta carved by Agustin Parra of Guadalajara is a moving sculpture, so much so that I could hardly bear to regard the sorrowing mother with a son not much different in age from my own. Parra also carved the new statue of St. Anthony, patron saint of our city whose feast day was the day before the tear gas attack in Oaxaca June 14th.
To the left of the chancel is a large 1770 painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Latin America. She faces an altar with an elaborately dressed statue of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands, donated by the people of those islands. These two are co-patronesses of the cathedral. Statues of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with their symbols of the fixed signs of the Western zodiac (Leo, Scorpio, Taurus, and Aquarius) stand guard on either side of the golden altar.
The insert about the cathedral's restoration and renovation from the March 28, 2003 "Express-News" kindly brought to us by Karen's friend Maria answered a question I'd had: the cathedral's second tower was added in 1903.
Didn't get much of a chance to examine the museum but Darlene pointed out an irreparable sculpture as it was pieced together after the madman's attack and the map indicating the long, treacherous journey the Canary Island families had to take afoot from Veracruz to San Antonio.
We exited to the left past the old bank building now housing our city council chambers and turned west to pass city hall to reach the Spanish Governor's "Palace". There the curator Mario Garza met, informed, and entertained us with tales of the days when this home was center of goings-on in the Spanish province of Tejas. The story of Spanish colonization of the New World is carved in the entrance doors. Three shells at the top could represent the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The white flag with the red cross is the Spanish flag of Burgundy.
Garza explained the floor had been about a foot and a half lower than it is now. The high ceilings kept one from asphixiating when the rooms needed to be heated. Sadly a young girl in a portrait later drowned in the well. Furnishings such as a gateleg table, four poster bed, brass bound chest, and chamber pot date to the times. Unusually the kitchen was not separated from the rest of the house due to the proximity of the well. Manzanillo was used for common stomach ailments. Cinnamon and sugar cane as well as piloncillo were found there. A large glass carboy sat in a cushioned basket.
Especially interesting to me was a 17th century altar cloth embroidered with hand-dyed wool on cotton and paintings on wood in a display case in the family room and five samplers in another case there.
One could quite picture treaties being hammered out at the long table in the dining room, bracketed by black walnut chairs.
Upon entering the courtyard from the cocinita avocados dangling from a mature tree surprised us. One could almost hear the rumble of arriving stagecoaches and smell the dust. Now the yard is lush with greenery even back to the hanging tree. When used the bells would toll for the "swinger". A thief's palm would be branded. So the open plaza, now paved, was used as a center of justice.
Back to the SAC van pool.
Our guide Darlene Regalbuto gave us a wonderful tour. Her faith and love for the sanctuary enhanced the wonderful stories she told.
El Christo Negro Milagroso near the main entrance is cherished by those whose prayers have been answered. Photos and notes paper the wall beneath the figure. Flowers are left in gratitude on the floor under the figure.
The baptismal font, a gift from the king of Spain in 1760, has been moved to the rear of the nave and a larger pool for adult baptisms added. Some people objected to moving the altar table forward so the celebrant is surrounded by worshippers on three sides. A brass marker on the floor in front of the new wooden altar denotes the location of the entrance to the original chapel. The old altar rail has been removed to allow for better use of space.
The paired stained glass windows are alight in glorious color with the new protective shielding. Wooden carvings from 1874 depicting the stations of the cross procede along the sidewalls under the marvelous windows. With the cleansing of the stone and greater light filtering in the sense of age of the cathredal is replaced by breathtaking beauty.
The mighty organ reflects a southwestern simplicity although built by the same German family who made the organ in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
A deranged man destroyed many of the original statues, thinking them objects of idolatry. The new Pieta carved by Agustin Parra of Guadalajara is a moving sculpture, so much so that I could hardly bear to regard the sorrowing mother with a son not much different in age from my own. Parra also carved the new statue of St. Anthony, patron saint of our city whose feast day was the day before the tear gas attack in Oaxaca June 14th.
To the left of the chancel is a large 1770 painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Latin America. She faces an altar with an elaborately dressed statue of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands, donated by the people of those islands. These two are co-patronesses of the cathedral. Statues of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with their symbols of the fixed signs of the Western zodiac (Leo, Scorpio, Taurus, and Aquarius) stand guard on either side of the golden altar.
The insert about the cathedral's restoration and renovation from the March 28, 2003 "Express-News" kindly brought to us by Karen's friend Maria answered a question I'd had: the cathedral's second tower was added in 1903.
Didn't get much of a chance to examine the museum but Darlene pointed out an irreparable sculpture as it was pieced together after the madman's attack and the map indicating the long, treacherous journey the Canary Island families had to take afoot from Veracruz to San Antonio.
We exited to the left past the old bank building now housing our city council chambers and turned west to pass city hall to reach the Spanish Governor's "Palace". There the curator Mario Garza met, informed, and entertained us with tales of the days when this home was center of goings-on in the Spanish province of Tejas. The story of Spanish colonization of the New World is carved in the entrance doors. Three shells at the top could represent the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The white flag with the red cross is the Spanish flag of Burgundy.
Garza explained the floor had been about a foot and a half lower than it is now. The high ceilings kept one from asphixiating when the rooms needed to be heated. Sadly a young girl in a portrait later drowned in the well. Furnishings such as a gateleg table, four poster bed, brass bound chest, and chamber pot date to the times. Unusually the kitchen was not separated from the rest of the house due to the proximity of the well. Manzanillo was used for common stomach ailments. Cinnamon and sugar cane as well as piloncillo were found there. A large glass carboy sat in a cushioned basket.
Especially interesting to me was a 17th century altar cloth embroidered with hand-dyed wool on cotton and paintings on wood in a display case in the family room and five samplers in another case there.
One could quite picture treaties being hammered out at the long table in the dining room, bracketed by black walnut chairs.
Upon entering the courtyard from the cocinita avocados dangling from a mature tree surprised us. One could almost hear the rumble of arriving stagecoaches and smell the dust. Now the yard is lush with greenery even back to the hanging tree. When used the bells would toll for the "swinger". A thief's palm would be branded. So the open plaza, now paved, was used as a center of justice.
Back to the SAC van pool.
# posted by gmarsch @ 9:00 PM 
