University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE REDWOOD The selected and distinguished bear- ers of the Canopy were Ex-Governor Peter H. Burnett, James Alexander Forbes, (British Vice-Consul), Captain Carlos Weber, Martin Murphy, i on Antonio Maria Pico and Don Antonio Sunol. From the altar steps to the outside of the church, the center aisle had been richly carpeted with aljombras and rugs, loaned for the occasion, and the two Bastoneros, the young and band- some Luis Arguello and Carlos Forbes, cleared the center way. The faithful remained kneeling on either side, and at a signal from the Bastoneros six ninas, clad in white and accompanied by six Indian girls carrying baskets of leaves and flowers took their position in front of the Acolytes led by the Cross- bearer and followed by the censors, the others carrying large wax tapers. Again at their signal the Seraphine Organ and the Indian orchestra intoned the Pange Lingua, and the procession moved on, Father Nobili holding aloft the Sacred Host, and Father Veyret and Sub-deacon Murphy walking by his side while the young maidens strewed the contents of the baskets on the carpeted path. As the Canopy passed, the College boys wheeled and followed in order, each one carrying a lighted wax taper, and after then came the Senoras and their families followed by the whole congregation. It is many years ago, yet how vivid to my sight is that Holy procession with upright heart and pure and vying with all panoplies of purple and gold. The first station was before the Holy Mission Cross, opposite to the doors of the church, erected by that holy man Junipero Serra; then to the Capilla on the right, adorned by Dona Soledad Arguello. That Capilla was a worthy receptacle for the Lord. All the enrichments which the Galleons from Manila had for years past brought from the Orient by way of Acapulco, such as curtains and tapestry and laces, were tastefully arranged and bejeweled with gems, and most artistic- ally garlanded with flowers. The pro- cession with the singing of Litanies and the appropriate ritual proceeded on its way over a path covered with greens and flowers, — the Morteros belching forth accompanied by the Salvas of the escopetas of the remnant of the old Mis- sion soldiers, — to the second Capilla of Dona Santos Berreyesa who had gath- ered from her friends and relatives all the cor Unas and alfombras and riquezas to give proper asylum and rest to El Santisimo Sacramento. Thus the procession with chant and prayer wended its way over flowers to the Capilla of Mrs. Martin Murphy adorned differently from the others, with French fineries brought over by the family from Canada, and Indian blankets, many colored and finely spun gathered while crossing the Plains. But these adornments represented the next generation who were to succeed there- after, with the Murphys and O ' Tools, the Kellys and O ' Briens, the Youngs

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THE REDWOOD as acceptable to the Lord as the pomp and splendors of the Sistine Chapel. The left side from the railing of the altar to the middle of the Church was reserved for the Sefioras and their daughters, and there, as they arrived, the Indian maid servants spread their heavy and rich alfombras of variegated colors, on the tiled floor for the Sefioras to rest and kneel upon; and from mid- church to the entrance there were rough redwood benches, without backs, for the elder male portion of the con- gregation while the balance of the space was allotted to ' the younger Cabal- leros to occupy ad libitum. On that memorable Corpus Christi day, many were attracted by the mag- nificence of the ceremonies, the appear- ance of the old Mission Indians and the surviving splendors of the rituals of the Church. The holy edifice was crowded from the altar railings to the door, where Guilo To?iito, the sub-sacristan with one eye winking and the other openly closed, a trick of his, stood as a faithful guardian, to see that the Caballeros left their spurs behind, and that no chuchos, nor shiver gtienzas crossed the sacred portals. From all San Jose and the far off precincts of the parish, the faithful and gentiles had come to the celebration. The sefioras, sefioritas, caballeros, gen- tiles, gringos, Jews and non-conformists, all were there. In a corner, in deep black, with their rebozos up to their eyes were to be seen two middle-aged women in pious devo- tion, who seemed to attract particular attention and curiosity. Why should they attract the sight of others, inter mulieres, and be particularly noticed? Don Jose Bojorquez explained to the unknowing ones, that they were the Higuera Sisters from Agua Caliente, who through a freak and perversity of nature had been bestowed with full black beards like men, that they at- tended church only on solemn days and then covered their masculine faces with their feminine rebozos. After the Asperges, the Kyrie was chanted according to the ritual. The Gloria from Lambillot was led by Ale- jandro Forbes, and then at the offertory came the solemn O Salutaris Hostia by the Indian choir and orchestra and boys of the College. The silver trumpets of St. Peter ' s may have been sublime, the organ of St. Paul ' s grander, II Duomo of Flor- ence may have given better melody, and Amiens Cathedral organ may have sounded louder, but the inspired chant and fervent intonation of the humble choir on that day seemed to be joined by the heavenly hosts of cherubim and seraphime, to rise above the old tiled roof of the sacred edifice, and to soar aloft to the foot of the throne of the Almighty, to call for His blessings upon Santa Clara Mission. The Mass was over and the Canopy under which the Blessed Sacrament was to be carried in solemn procession was brought from the Sacristy. El dozel bordado en oro y plata de filigrana, rico y refnlgente y dig no del Senor.

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THE REDWOOD and Whites, the Blacks and Pilots, and many other names, new to the old regime, and to be prominent in the future of the Santa Clara Valley. Last but not least, when the Holy of Holies reached the fourth station, it was adorned with all the regalia and altar ornaments and jewels which had for years belonged to the Mission — all gifts from pious and noble patrons in Spain and Mexico, from the Franciscan Convents in the Island of Majorca and from the College of San Fernando in Guadalajara; all preserved and carefully kept concealed by Dona Juana trom the vandalism, not only of the invading gringos, but also from the Catholic Ad- mini sir adores under the Mexican Law for the Dis-establishment of the Missions of Alta California. The procession returned. The In- dians chanting the Gregorian Laudate Dominum with the same trust in the Lord, and high reverence, as did the chosen people of old in the desert, on their way to the Promised Land. The Tabernacle received the Holy Host; the church ceremonies were at an end; the people who desired partook of the sim- ple but bountiful merienda provided by King Phillip in the Atrium, and re- turned to their homes. The Alameda echoed with repartee, chistes and melodious songs to the ac- companiment of the jingling of spurs of the equestrians, lessening and dimming gradually as evening approached and the groups separated. Then the Angelus sounded again on that Thurday evening, while the thousands of crows sur les arbres perches, mats satis fromage on the Stockton Ranch, and on the Willow woods and marshes, extending from the bottomless Cook Lake, to the rear of the transplanted Baronial Rhinish pos- sessions of the Count Von Bendelieben, to the Guadalupe River, cawed and cawed their salutations to receding day — the faithful responded to the Aves — and the lurid light of that sun which had guided the footsteps of the pioneer Franciscan Padres to this Valley of Paradise, now carried away the recollec- tions of the last of the Indian celebra- tions of the Festivals of the Church. Et antiquum documentum. Novo cedat ritui. Years have come and passed, and the procession of the living goes on, but of those who were present at the Corpus Christi Procession in 1853 at Santa Clara, very few are living now. Quorm pars parva fui. Aug. D. Spuvalo, A. B., ' 59, A. M., ' 60.