Death Comes for the Archbishop

In February, Bishop Latour leaves for Rome. He returns with several new priests, one of whom he installs in Father Martínez’s place in Taos. Conflict immediately ensues between Martínez and the new priest. Martínez and Father Lucero, a priest with whom Martínez is allied, start a new church in which celibacy isn’t a condition of priesthood. Father Vaillant warns them of their impending excommunication, but they’re determined. The situation resolves when Martínez suddenly dies. Soon after, Lucero is robbed in the night but manages to fend off and fatally wound his attacker. Later, on his own deathbed, Lucero repents and asks Vaillant’s forgiveness.

As bishop, Father Latour’s biggest ambition is to build a grand cathedral worthy of Santa Fe’s natural beauty. Such projects require funding, and in order to build his cathedral, Latour knows he’ll need the assistance of wealthy benefactors. One such man, Don Antonio Olivares, along with his wife, Doña Isabella Olivares, might be able to help him. Doña Isabella is a devout Catholic, and the two often entertain the local clergy. Fathers Latour and Vaillant enjoy the Olivares’s company. They’re both intelligent, learned people with whom the two priests can speak at length in their native tongue. Doña Olivares often gives the priests lavish gifts and values their friendship. Her daughter, Inez, is unmarried and, though not a nun, lives a life of holiness and devotion. Don Antonio would like to help with the construction of the cathedral partly to make his wife and daughter happy, and he and Latour often discuss the project. At one party, Don Antonio informs Latour that he intends to raise the funds necessary to begin working on the cathedral. It’s a joyous occasion, at which the attendees include Kit Carson and Father Vaillant, who is wearing a cassock made specially for him by his sister in France. Shortly after the party, however, Don Antonio dies of a heart attack. His brothers immediately hire an American lawyer, hoping to take control of his fortune.

Fathers Latour and Vaillant are alarmed at the actions of Olivares’s brothers and they try to intervene on behalf of Doña Isabella and Inez. The brothers’ case to contest the will rests on their assertion that Inez is an illegitimate child and can’t inherit her father’s fortune. As evidence, they cite Doña Isabella’s claim that she’s only 42, too young to be Inez’s mother. Although the widow Olivares is initially unwilling to admit her true age in court, she ultimately relents, and the brothers lose their case. Don Olivares has left a vast inheritance not only to his wife and daughter but also, upon their deaths, to the church.

Three years after Father Latour arrives in Santa Fe, the US acquires from Mexico (through the Gadsden Purchase) another swath of land, a region that becomes southern New Mexico and Arizona. In the early days after the territorial gain, the border between the US and Mexico remains unclear and disputed, and Father Vaillant must travel to Mexico to visit bishops in the states of Sonora and Chihuahua in order to determine the exact boundaries of their diocese. During his return journey, Vaillant contracts malaria and is ill for several months. During his recovery, he and Latour spend time together in Latour’s flourishing garden. Latour wants his friend to remain in Santa Fe all summer, but Vaillant feels called to Arizona. There, the Catholic population (much of it illiterate) has been without a priest for many years. Vaillant thinks he’s particularly suited to this area because of his deep love and respect for Mexican people and their customs. Latour, though sad to see his friend go, gives Vaillant his blessing for the journey.

In December, Father Vaillant has been in Arizona for several months. Father Latour misses his friend and is beginning to feel depressed in his absence. Late one night, suffering from insomnia, Latour rises from his bed and enters the church to pray. Inside, he notices Sada, a woman who is enslaved by a Protestant family hostile to the Catholic Church. The family refuses to let Sada practice her religion, and she falls prostrate at the feet of the church’s Virgin Mary statue, explaining to Latour that it has been nearly 20 years since she was last in a Catholic Church. Latour tells her that he’ll pray for her and allows her to confess her sins. Her devotion impresses him, and he gives her a small silver medal with a picture of the Virgin Mary.

While Father Vaillant is in Arizona, Father Latour and Jacinto ride south to visit Eusabio, a Navajo friend of Latour’s. Eusabio, a kind and honest man who is well-respected both in Navajo and Hispanic communities, is grieving the death of his only son, and the mood at his home is somber. Latour stays for three days and enjoys the opportunity for quiet reflection. He misses Vaillant and wonders if he should call him home to Santa Fe. The two have now worked together for 25 years, and Latour realizes that their friendship has been a source of stability for them both, especially during the time they’ve spent together in remote territories like New Mexico. They accept one another’s differences: Latour has always been more studious, but Vaillant is more at ease around people. Vaillant loves fine food and wine but is nonetheless filled with the glory of God and never lacks “spiritual energy” or drive. Latour thinks their work is easier because each brings his own unique skills and natural abilities to the table, and he’s grateful he had the opportunity to work alongside such a great man.

Father Latour reflects on the differences between white and Indigenous customs. White men, he observes, feel the need to make their mark on nature, to conquer and change it, to irrevocably alter the landscape. Indigenous custom, however, seeks to preserve the sanctity of the landscape, leaving no trace upon the land and allowing nature to run its course undisturbed. Eusabio embodies the Indigenous way, and as Latour spends time with him, he’s struck by how harmoniously the man and his family live with nature.