Thursday, January 28, 2016

Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather

I just love this book. It is such a beautiful story, of friendship and faith and good works. I knew that it was a fictionalized account of a missionary bishop in the mid-1800s, in the southwestern United States. I think I expected a story of suffering and despair - and not just from the title. While there is suffering, and occasionally even despair, including some dark nights of the soul for the bishop, there is also beauty and grace, joy and peace.

When I started reading this book, I opened it to the first chapter, where "One afternoon in the autumn of 1851 a solitary horseman, followed by a pack-mule, was pushing through an arid stretch of country somewhere in central New Mexico." I read on, learning that he was a young French priest. A few pages further on, we are told "The traveller was Jean Marie Latour, consecrated Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico and Bishop of Agathonica in partibus at Cincinnati a year ago - and ever since then he had been trying to reach his Vicariate." It was only later that I discovered I had accidentally skipped over a prologue ("At Rome") that explained how Bishop Latour was chosen to be the Vicar. (An Apostolic Vicariate may be created when the Catholic Church in a particular area is not developed or organized enough for a diocese.)

The story follows Bishop Latour as he reaches Santa Fé and begins the work of organizing the vicariate, recently separated from a diocese in Mexico, as was the territory itself. Joining him in this work is Fr. Jean Vaillant, his friend from seminary days in France, who came with him to serve as a missionary in Ohio. Together they make the long trips to visit the scattered Native American settlements and the Mexican ranches, as well as the few small towns. Over the years, the Bishop reluctantly allows his friend to follow his heart into missionary work in the isolated areas, though he needs his help in administration and misses his friendship. They carry on their work of evangelization, serving the people of their vast territory where they find them and as they find them, with love and compassion. They are both such wonderful characters, men of faith, sustained by their long years of friendship - but not plaster saints. There is a lovely section where Fr. Vaillant cooks Christmas dinner for the Bishop, trying to bring a touch of their French home to this new world; and another where he charms two lovely little mules out of a reluctant rancher.

In later years, Fr. Vaillant accepts a new mission field, in the wilds of the Colorado gold rush, becoming a bishop himself. Bishop Latour becomes an Archbishop, as Santa Fé is promoted first to a diocese and then an archdiocese. As he grows older, he resigns the title and the active work to a younger man. Given the title of the book, I hope it isn't a spoiler to say that, as he feels death coming on, he returns to the episcopal residence in Santa Fé. "The next morning Father Latour wakened with a grateful sense of the nearness of his Cathedral - which would also be his tomb." The weeks that he spends quietly in his room, waiting for death, reminded me so much of my beloved Mr. Harding, in Anthony Trollope's Barchester novels. Both men of faith, gentle and kind, they are loved and cherished by their people. And like Mr. Harding, the Bishop's mind sometimes wanders through the past. I love too how Willa Cather weaves other stories through this one, legends, histories, the Bishop's own past. And she writes so beautifully about the landscape, the scenery, and the plants and flowers of New Mexico. Bishop Latour is very much attuned to the natural world, drawing strength and consolation from it to the end.

This story took on an extra dimension for me from its setting and characters. In the day job that supports my book habit, I am the Director of Archives & Records for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. [All opinions expressed here are of course my own. They do not reflect the opinions or positions of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.]  From my reading for work, I knew that Bishop Latour's real-life counterpart was Father Jean Baptiste Lamy. Like the fictional Bishop, Father Lamy came through Galveston on his way to his new vicariate. There he had a brief meeting with the Bishop of Galveston, Bishop Jean Marie Odin - a fellow Frenchman. Odin later wrote Lamy a letter of advice, based on his own experiences. Like Latour/Lamy, Odin came to Texas as a missionary, when it was an Apostolic Prefecture (even less developed than a vicariate). Texas had recently won its independence from Mexico, and Catholics who once belonged to Mexican dioceses were left in limbo. Odin faced many of the challenges that Lamy/Latour did, though he also had a more settled population in the eastern part of Texas. His letters in our archives, and the accounts of other missionaries here, are full of the same kinds of experiences that Willa Cather wrote about. Her story just feels so right and true, the very best kind of historical fiction.

I also checked on the real-life counterpart of Father Vaillant. He was Joseph Projectus Machebouef - isn't that a great name?  Like the fictional bishops, he and Lamy were both from the diocese of Clermont in Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne. I may be the only historical-geek reader who actually felt the need to track that down.

I have read a couple of Willa Cather's books, but so many years ago that I've forgotten even the titles. Now of course I am wondering what else I have been missing. Any recommendations of what to read next/first? Honestly, I can't imagine anything better than this book, and I can't believe how long I left it sitting on the TBR shelves. Knowing of the close friendship between Willa Cather and Dorothy Canfield, I will be shelving their books together - and this book has the same warmth and life of Canfield's best.

N.B. Published in 1927, it also fills another year in my Mid-Century of Books.

24 comments:

  1. This was my first and so far (sadly) only Willa Cather. I love the connection with your job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't found any letters from Lamy in the collections yet, but I haven't given up hope!

      Delete
  2. It's so long since I read any of Willa Cather's books - bar one - that I can't pull out particular recommendations. But I love her, and I've never read anything of hers that I haven't loved.

    My favourite when I did read them many years ago was 'The Song of the Lark', but that might be because it was the first of her big books that I came to. I'm thinking of re-reading in order and you've definitely inspired me to get to book two.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am putting The Song of the Lark on my reading list. The title is familiar at least!

      Delete
  3. Was Willa Carter catholic or just interested in piece of history? I've only read My Antonia and always imagined her a a staunch Protestant!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wondered myself, from the way she wrote about the Virgin Mary and the devotion to her. From what I found on-line, she was a Baptist when young and became an Episcopalian later in life.

      Delete
  4. My Antonia is very good and I remember thinking O Pioneers! was even better... though it's been almost a decade. I started collecting Cather's novels after reading those two, but since then have only read a few of her short stories. A Lost Lady has been recommended by several bloggers and I purchased The Professor's House after Thomas said it was his favorite Cather. I also have a beautiful Everyman's Library edition of Death Comes For the Archbishop, unread. Another good reason to extend the TBR Dare beyond April 1!

    I enjoyed reading this post, Lisa, and was waiting for you to mention Mr. Harding :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think My Antonia is one that I have read, but I couldn't swear to it. I don't think I've even heard of The Professor's House - but I am putting that on the list as well.

      I wonder if Willa Cather read Trollope :)

      Delete
  5. I enjoyed the post and review. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is fascinating to find out the historical background of this book. I also recommend "O Pioneers", "Song of the Lark"and "My Antonia". I enjoy how Willa Cather's books were about ordinary people in the American West, and not just the gunslingers we see in movies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, and for the recommendations. I much prefer the stories of settlers to gunslingers - in fact, I don't watch too many Westerns.

      Delete
  7. I didn't know that was your job! Cool! Glad it supports your reading habit. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, as well as my tea addiction, and two spoiled cats :)

      Delete
  8. I sometimes think Willa Cather is an underappreciated author; I've liked most of the books I've read of hers, but I think my favorites are The Professor's House and My Antonia, with O Pioneers a close third.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think she is an author I will appreciate more now than I did all those years ago.

      And I think I've also read my Antonia - maybe I'll remember more when I see a copy.

      Delete
  9. I'm so glad that you admire and like this book as much as I did. I read it a few years ago and just fell in love with it - I still think about it and the characters from time to time. I will definitely read it again one day. My book club is reading the essential My Antonia for February and it is marvelous. I also recommend The Song of the Lark (such beautiful writing about Colorado and Arizona landscapes) and A Lost Lady is also very good. I wasn't as keen on O Pioneers! but I'd like to read it again to see if I still feel lukewarm about it.
    I've always wondered what your job was - how fascinating and wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had it in the back of my mind that you had read this & written about it - but I forgot to check for your review.

      A Lost Lady is a new title to me - I am adding that to the list! Just by coincidence, a friend & I are going out to dinner and then to browse at Half Price Books :)

      Delete
  10. This one is my least favourite of hers. I loved One of Ours, My Antonia and O Pioneers, The Prof's House is good as is Alexander's Bridge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just found a copy of One of Ours today! It wasn't a title I knew, but the story blurb sounded very interesting. I'm glad to know it's a good one! I haven't seen Alexander's Bridge yet either.

      Delete
  11. While I have not read this one, and I do like Oh, Pioneers, I think My Antonia is the one to go with. Wonderful book, with a happy ending too, as I recall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From a quick browse of bookstores, it looks like O Pioneers & My Antonia are the books most widely available (they were the only ones on the shelves at Barnes & Noble). I'm curious to see if I have in fact already read My Antonia - it sounds so familiar.

      Delete
  12. Fabulous review of a fabulous book. It's probably been over 20 years since I read it, but I remember the "beauty and grace, joy and peace" that you describe. I love Santa Fe and now I want to reread Death Comes for the Archbishop and visit the city again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to visit Santa Fé as well! I was googling pictures of the Cathedral. And the Bishop is buried inside - even more reason to visit. A Willa Cather tour :)

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to read, and to comment. I always enjoy hearing different points of view about the books I am reading, even if we disagree!