Nov. 7 San Diego/St. Didacus

 

November 7^th St. Didacus/San Diego

Back in May I posted about St. Didacus and San Diego Mission, being the first in the CA series of missions. The Tuesday morning “Coffee with the Saints” group began reviewing the 21 CA Missions with the first one established. It is worth revisiting today on the patronal feastday of the diocese. Especially after celebrating “Doorkeepers Day” with Martin de Porres and Solanus Casey just a few days ago. Didacus was also a humble porter, and like Martin, a lay brother.

Canonized on July 10, 1588, by Pope Sixtus V, he was the first Franciscan lay brother to be canonized. Didacus is a Latin given name that means "teacher" or "instructor" and is derived from the Greek word "didaktos" (διδακτός). Also note the early Christian text of the Didachē. Diego is the Spanish form. He is the namesake of the City of San Diego, California—named by explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602—and the co-patron of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. (Our Lady of Refuge is the other co-patron.) Didacus is also the patron saint of Franciscan lay brothers, those engaged in manual “blue collar” work.

Didacus/Diego’s life reminds us of the important place of humble, manual labor. As Saint Francis said in the Rule of the Friars Minor:

The brothers should exercise that trade which they know, if it is not against the good of their soul and can be performed honestly. For the prophet says: “You shall eat the fruits of your labors. . .”

In his Testament, Francis reminded his brothers:

And I worked with my hands, and I still desire to work; and I earnestly desire all the brothers to give themselves to honest work. Let those who do not know how to work, learn!!

 

I have a personal connection to St. Didacus parish in Sylmar in that my cousins, aunt, and uncle attended church there, so it was the location of various family baptisms, first communions, and weddings in the Seventies. And then a couple of decades later, it was the home parish for good friends of mine. 

Fray Luis Jaime, OFM, California protomartyr

 

“Jaime/Jayme/Jaume” translates as JAMES in Spanish, thus I am posting about this martyr of the Solemn Feast of James: Santiago de Compostela!

Father Luis Jayme OFM (1740-1775)

"Melchor Jayme was born in the farming village of San Juan, Majorca on October 18, 1740. When he was 15, he enrolled in the St. Bernadine School where Father Serra had studied as a youth.  He became a Franciscan five years later.  Father Jayme was ordained to the priesthood and taught philosophy for five years at the Convento de Francisco, which was the motherhouse for all the Franciscans in Majorca.

Like Fr. Serra, Fr. Jayme dreamed of becoming a missionary in the New World.  In 1770, he arrived in New Spain after a long and difficult journey.  He attended a special training course that taught survival on the frontier and conditioned them for living a life of hardship and deprivation. In October of 1770, Fr. Jayme set out for Alta California to begin his ten-year commitment to the California Missions. He assumed his post as pastor of the Mission San Diego de Alcalá and eagerly looked forward to working with the Native Americans.

The priests and neophytes on Presidio Hill (the first location of Mission San Diego) tried to establish a successful mission at that site, but in 1774, Fr. Jayme recommended that the Mission site be moved inland.  The crops were failing, the water was scarce and hard to get, and the soldiers were a bad influence on the Native Americans.  Fr. Serra approved the move.  The padres and neophytes moved to the present site in August of 1774 and built temporary huts out of wood, tule, manure, and thatch.  Eleven adobe structures were built during the first year. Crops were planted, Native Americans from the Nipaguay village were being baptized, and everything was going well – until November 5, 1775.  In the early morning hours of that day, Fr. Jayme was awakened from his sleep and heard a commotion outside his quarters. Indians were raiding the mission.  Approximately 800 Native Americans from the Yuma area, together with several neophytes, looted the church. As an open fire erupted, the Kumeyaay natives shot flaming arrows into the buildings, burning the huts down.  Instead of running or hiding, Fr. Jayme went out to greet them and, with his arms outstretched, said, “Love God, my children.”  He was subsequently dragged down to the river and murdered.  Because of Fr. Jayme’s self-sacrifice, dedication, faith, and love, he became California’s first Christian martyr.  The large white cross out front of the Mission on the east side is dedicated to his memory and is located near the spot where he was martyred.  His remains are buried in the sanctuary of the church. Surviving residents of the mission went to the Presidio to live until things settled down and it was safe to return to the Mission."

Written by Msgr. I.B. Eagen, former pastor of Mission San Diego  

https://www.missionsandiegohistory.org/father-luis-jayme

(Click on the image to enlarge for reading)

San Diego/Didacus of Alcala -CA Mission

 

St. Didacus of Alcala/San Diego (1400-1463)

November 7 (died Nov. 13)

Didacus is living proof that “God chose those whom the world considers absurd to shame the wise; God singled out the weak of this world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor 1:27)

As a young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. Didacus was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.

Didacus labored energetically in the missions in the Canary Islands. He was also the superior of a friary there. In 1450 he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of Bernardine of Siena. When many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation full-time. 

As he was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said, “O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven.” Didacus is the patron of Franciscan brothers. San Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan who was canonized in 1588.

            From the Bull of Canonization: “He was born in Spain with no outstanding reputation for learning, but like our first teachers and leaders unlettered as men count wisdom, an unschooled person, a humble lay brother in religious life. God chose Didacus to show in him the abundant riches of God’s grace to lead many on the way of salvation by the holiness of his life and by his example and to prove over and over to a weary old world almost decrepit with age that God’s folly is wiser than humans, and God’s weakness is more powerful than men.” 

BEGINNING THIS WEEK WE INCLUDE WITHIN OUR EXPLORATION OF FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY, THE PRESENCE OF THE 21 CALIFORNIA MISSIONS AND THEIR PATRON SAINTS. THE FIRST ONE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS ALTA OR UPPER CALIFORNIA WAS SAN DIEGO. THE EXPLANATIONS OF THE MISSIONS THAT I WILL PROVIDE ARE FROM A 1960 PUBLICATION ENTITLED "CALIFORNIA MISSIONS PICTORIAL" (CLICK ON ANY PICTURES TO ENLARGE).