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Fray Isidro Félix de Espinosa: Companion and Biographer of Margil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Michael B. McCloskey
Michael B. McCloskey*
Affiliation:
St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N. Y.
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Extract

To one who studies the career of Fray Isidro Félix de Espinosa, the strangest fact of all lies in finding that so little was known of him for a century and a half after his death. When Don José Beristain y Souza finally issued his Biblioteca Hispano Americana Setentrional in 1819, all his knowledge of Fray Isidro was summed up in these few lines:

Espinosa (Fr. Isidro Félix)—Native of the city of Querétaro, of the Province of S. Peter and S. Paul of Michoacán, of the Order of S. Francis. Preacher, missionary apostolic, guardian, and chronicler of the College de Propaganda Fide of the Holy Cross of Querétaro; censor of books for the Tribunal of the Inquisition. He was as tireless in his preaching of the Divine Word as he was in perpetuating the apostolic deeds of his brethren; and due to that fact was worthy of being termed “the Julius Caesar of the Gospel in New Spain.” For, like that Roman, he fought by day (though better battles) and wrote by night.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , 1951 , pp. 283 - 295
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1951

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References

1 “Espinosa (Fr. Isidro Félix)—Natural de la ciudad de Querétaro, del Orden de S. Francisco de la Provincia de S. Pedro y S. Pablo de Michoacán, predicador y misionero apostólico, y guardián y cronista del Colegio de Propaganda Fide de la Santa Cruz de Querétaro, calificador y revisor de libros del Tribunal de la Inquisición. Fué tan infatigable en la predicación de la palabra divina, como en perpetuar los hechos apostólicos de sus hermanos; y digno por esto de que se llame el Julio Cesar del Evangelio en la Nueva España, pues como aquel romano, de día peleaba, aunque mejores batalles, y de noche escribia.” (2nd ed., Amecameca, 1883), I, 418.

2 See the documents on Beristain in Medina, José Toribio, La Imprenta en Mexico, (1539–1821), (8 vols., Santiago de Chile, 1904–1914), VIII, appendix, where Beristain states that the above work is ready for the printer—in 1812.Google Scholar

3 Mexico, 1873.

4 Vilaplana, Fray Hermenegildo, Vida Portentosa del Americano Septentrional Apostol, el V. P. Fr. Antonio Margil de Jesus, (Madrid, 1775), Prologo.Google Scholar

5 Cronica Seráfica y Apostólica del Colegio de Propaganda Fide de la Santa Cruz de Querétaro en la Nueva España…., (Mexico, 1792).

6 Mexico, 1899. José Ignacio Dávila Garibí republished this work, with introduction and notes in 1947.

7 The birth date given by León, and substantiated by the baptismal record printed on p. 487 of Espinosa, Crónica de la provincia franciscana de S. Pedro y S. Pablo de Michoacán (Mexico, 1947) is the date of baptism. The reference in note 9, infra, fixes the exact day of birth.

8 de Espinosa, Fray Isidro Félix, Chronica Apostólica y Seráphica de todos los colegios de Propaganda Fide de esta Nueva España de Missioneros Franciscanos Observantes…. (Mexico, 1746), p. 26a.Google Scholar

9 Archive of the College of the Holy Cross, “Libro de novicios,” fols. 32–33.

10 Archive of the College of the Holy Cross (hereinafter referred to as ACHC), “Libros del gobierno,” n. 1.

11 Archive of the College of Christ Crucified, of Guatemala; letter of Father Francisco Estévez to Father Antonio Margil, February 9, 1703, in which Fr. Estévez refers to “el r. p. predicador fr. Isidro Espinosa ordenase de sacerdote de aquí a 17 días.”

In the collection of sermons grouped under the title of Laurea Funeral Americana (copy in University of Texas Library) there is the following title: Sermon/que en el día primero de su ce-/lebridad en la mui plausible fiesta de la ampliación de el/Cruzero, y reedificación del Templo de la milagro-/sa Santíssima Cruz de Piedra de la Ciudad de Querétaro./Predico/El M. R. P. Fr. Joseph de Castro/Predicador Apostólico en el Colegio de la Santa Cruz de dicha/ciudad (Mexico, 1702). The occasion (from the college records) would be April 2, 1702; the foreword is by Espinosa. The date on the title page would seem to be correct from information gleaned from the parecer and the subsequent career of Father Castro, and despite the apparent anomaly of a corista (such as Espinosa must have been at the time) writing the foreword to a sermon.

12 ACHC, E, no. 3, “Libro de los Patentes,” autos of election of Guardian in November, 1700, and October, 1703.

13 Arricivita, Crónica Seráfica y Apostólica.…, p. 219a.

14 ACHC, K, 1, 8, “De Pe. Hidalgo al Padre Fr. Isidro—Cassos raros sucedidos en Texas—y sus ritos” (Nov. 20, 1710) indicates that Fray Isidro always offered a willing ear; see also the Crónica Apostólica…, p. 280b.

15 Espinosa, Chronica Apostólica y Seráfica…, p. 533b.

16 ACHC, C, 1, 1, antiguamente, B, 4; printed (from Archivo General de Indias) in Maas, Otto O.F.M., Viajes de Misioneros Franciscanos a la Conquista del Nuevo Mexico (Seville, 1915), pp. 27–38.Google Scholar

17 Diary of expedition in Maas, op. cit., pp. 50–63; English translation of diary by Gabriel Tous, T.O.R., “The Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition of 1709”, in Preliminary Studies of the Texas Catholic Historical Society, I, n. 3.

18 ACHC, E, n. 3, “Libro de los Patentes,” auto of election of Guardian.

19 The notations in the “Libro de novicios,” in the Archive of the College of the Holy Cross, are signed by Father Espinosa as Master of Novices from 1710 to 1712.

20 ACHC, K, 1, 7, contains a letter of Captain Diego Ramón (July 22, 1714) to Mission San Juan Bautista, in which he asks to be remembered to Father Isidro.

21 Archivo General de la Nación, Provincias Internas, vol. 181, fols. 54–88; 95–122.

22 ACHC, K, 1, 9, Agreement, principally signed by Espinosa and Margil: Querétaro missions to spread north and west toward New Mexico, Zacatecas missions to spread south and west toward Tampico (July 22, 1716).

23 On Urrutia, see Dunn, W. E., “Apache Relations in Texas, 1718–1750,” Southwestern Historical Quarterly, XIV, 198–274;Google Scholar and particularly Castañeda, C. E., Our Catholic Heritage in Texas (Austin, 5 vols, to date, 1936-), II, 30 and 63.Google Scholar

24 For above, see Castañeda, op. cit., II, 33–159; “Espinosa-Ramón Diary of 1716,” Preliminary Studies of the Texas Catholic Historical Society, I, n. 4; Hoffman, Fritz (tr.), The Céliz Diary of the Alarcón Expedition (Quivira Society, Albuquerque, 1944);Google Scholar Espinosa, Chronica Apostólica y Seráphica…., pp. 450–455.

25 Buckley, , Claire, Eleanor, “The Aguayo Expedition into Texas and Louisiana, 1719–1722,” Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, XV, 1–75.Google Scholar

26 ACHC, E, n. 3, “Libro de los Patentes…,” and “Libros de los Muertos”: Fr. Diego de Alcántara had been elected guardian in 1719; he resigned for reasons of health; a new election was authorized in 1721, in which Espinosa was elected guardian, while Father Francisco Estevez became acting superior in his absence. The latter’s death on May 25, 1721, enforced Espinosa’s return from Texas.

27 Copy in Library of University of Texas.

28 Castañeda, op. cit., loc. cit.

29 There was, however, no General Chapter of the Order from 1700 to 1733.

30 ACHC, C, 1, 1, on outer folio: Frutos de el Collego, de la Sma. Cruz q mitidos a Roma—Relación hecha al capo. Geni. Milán celebrado año 1729.

31 El Cherubín/Custodio/de el Árbol de la Vida/la Santa Cruz de Querétaro./Vida del V. Siervo de Dios/Fray Antonio de los Ángeles,/Bustamante,/Exemplaríssimo Portero de el Colegio de la Santissima Cruz/de los Milagros, de la Santa Provincia de S. Pedro y S. Pablo/de Michoacán; erigido en la ciudad de Santiago de Querétaro/En México…. Año de 1731. Copy in Library of Academy of American Franciscan History.

32 Letter of Fernando Alonzo Gonzales, Commissary General of New Spain, appointing Father Espinosa, copied in manuscript of Bestard, Fray Juan Buenaventura, “Memorias históricas del Apostólico Colegio de S. Fernando de Mexico” (Genaro García Collection, University of Texas), fols. 26–28.Google Scholar Bestard states that Fray Isidro made a brief attempt at founding this college in 1723, but that he was forced to give up almost at once because of impossibility of acting as Guardian of Querétaro at the same time (ibid., fol. 4).

33 Espinosa, Chronica Apostólica y Seráphica…, p. 511b-512a.

34 Ibid., p. 514a-b.

35 Medina, op. cit., IV, 401.

36 estard mss., fol. 28 ff.

37 ACHC, “Libro de novicios”: all reception and profession records are signed by Fr. Espinosa as acting Guardian of Querétaro (1732–1733).

38 See especially Bolton, H. E., Texas in the Middle Eighteenth Century (Berkeley, 1915), p. 26.Google Scholar

39 “Liber decretorum discretorii S. Fernandi” lists first government on that date. (In possession of Fr. Fidel Chauvet, O.F.M.)

40 Medina, op. cit., IV, 401.

41 Arlegui, José, Chronica de la S. Provincia de San Francisco de Zacatecas (Mexico, 1737), p. 54.Google Scholar

42 Now preserved in Library of Athenaeum Antonianum de Urbe (Rome).

43 ACHC, E, n. 2, “Libro de los Patentes…,” fol. 160 ff.

44 Espinosa, Chronica Apostólica y Seráphica…, pp. 65 and 68; cf. also 15a, 23a, 27b.

45 For all individuals see ibid., pp. 252a, 271b, 278b, 281a, 320a.

46 Espinosa, Chronica Apostólica y Seráphica…, p. 61b.

47 Ibid., op. cit, p. 498b: “…. y aunque después que se me encomendo trabajasse formando la Chronica de todos los Colegios, he repetido cartas, pidiendo todas las noticias, assi de los Colegios, como de las Vidas exemplares de los Religiosos, y los progressos en la Propagación de la Santa Fé, es muy poco lo que se me ha noticiado; y assi, no me culpen mis queridos Hermanos de los Santos Collegios, de escribir con cortedad de ellos, pues yo no puedo poner las noticias, que no me participan; y solo servira lo que apunto en esta Chronica, para que cada Colegio forme la suya especial, muy cumplida.”

48 Ibid., p. 96a.

49 El Lunar agraciado/del Rostro de la Iglesia/el Negro Hermoso/Entre las candidezes de los Santos, El Milagroso,/y poco conocido Portento,/San Benito/de Palermo,/Cuya vida en compendioso epitome da traducida del Idioma Portugués,/algun tanto ilustrada la cordial devoción/Del P. Fr. Isidro Félix/de Espinosa/Viuda de Hogal…Año de 1745. See Medina, op. cit., V, 9.

50 Fragua/de amor divino/para ablandar los hierros/del corazón humano./En que, a soplos de los Escritos/del V.P. Fray Antonio de las/Llagas [das Chagas], Fundador de los Missio-/neros Apostólicos de Portugal,/se puede labrar una Estatua de la/contrición mas primorosa./Enciende de nuevo el calor de/esta Fragua el P. Fr. Isidro/Félix de Espinosa, Predicador/Apostólico…. dando en Castella-/no lo que dicho V.P. escribió/en Idioma Portugués, para que/todos gocen de tan soberano/Incendio./Consagra estas centellas al Santis-/simo Costado de Christo, mejor Fragua de divinos incendios

51 p. 467.

52 p. 498.

53 See his prologue to the Chronica Apostólica y Seráphica…

54 Espinosa’s introduction to the chronicle of Michoacán.

55 The convent of St. Rose of Viterbo, in Querétaro, operated a school for girls from the year 1703.

56 ACHC, “Libro de los Muertos.”