Born in Taos, NM--youngest of three boys. Ordained a priest for Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1964, served in several parishes, pastor in three. National special ministry twice: executive director of PADRES organization 1972-1975, coordinator of Tercer Encuentro Hispano de Pastoral 1984-1985. Author of RELUCTANT DAWN: A Biography of Padre Martinez published in 1975, second edition 2006. Retired from administration, and helping as a "supply priest" in Diocese of San Bernardino. Maintain blog dedicated to Padre Antonio José Martínez, Cura de Taos (1793-1867)
This Sunday, June 21, is Fathers’ Day and the beginning of summer. In addition, Pope (meaning “father”) Benedict XVI has proclaimed this year, beginning last Friday–that was the Feast of the Sacred Heart–be observed throughout the Catholic World as the YEAR OF THE PRIEST. This augurs well for the re-establishment of the web log dedicated to the life and legacy of Padre Antonio José Martínez, Cura de Taos. Padre Martínez was a legitimate father in fact as well as the spiritual father for the thousands of people he served during his long ministry as the Cura de Taos in northern New Mexico. As a young man of 19, he had married María de La Luz Martínez, a distant relative from the same village of Abiqiui, NM–westerly of Santa Fe and Taos. She died while giving birth to their daughter, and was buried in the church yard of Santo Tomás in Abiquiu. Antonio José had been baptized there as an infant , and at the age of 29 would return there for one of his first assignments as the priest in charge. The maternal grandparents of little María de La Luz brought up the child in the unity and love of an extended family of which Antonio José was a part. Nevertheless, after a few years, Antonio José felt the call to priesthood, and traveled to Durango to pursue the calling through seminary study. Not long after María de la Luz turned twelve, she also died an untimely death.
On this Fathers’ Day, I salute my own father José Tobias Romero! He he had the good sense and blessing in 1934 to marry my mom, María Claudia Garcia. They had know each other as children and in fact used to be high school sweethearts. Mom died in 1969, forty years ago this November. About a year and a half later, dad went to the seminary, and in 1975 was ordained as a Claretian priest. Dad had four things in common with Padre Martinez of Taos: 1) both were “of Taos,” 2) both were married and had children, 3) both were widowers, 4) and both became priests after the deaths of their respective spouses. The life of Padre Martinez, however, was tainted by the bitter struggles and controversies with his new Bishop, Jean Baptiste Lamy who arrived in 1851 at Santa Fe as Vicar Apostolic. Unlike Padre Martinez, my father always maintained a deservedly very wholesome reputation.
May this Year of the Priest be a time of affirmation for good priests, a time of conversion for bad priests, and a time of healing for priests who have strayed from faithfully living their vocation.
Stay tuned to this blog, and pray for all priests.
Welcome to the Taos Connection <thetaosconnection.com>! This blog is dedicated to the person and legacy of Padre Antonio José Martinez,Cura de Taos (1793-1867). It used to be on AOL Journals until that ceased to operate. I have retrieved these web logs, and am in the process of editing and posting. Come back when there is more. Enough for now.
Fr. Juan Romero
[Born in Taos, ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles forty-five years ago. Retired from administration. This past year, I have beenhelping at Our Lady of Perpertual Help parish in Indio, and will return there in the fall. Dring the summer, I will be helping at my home parish of Sacred Heart in Los Angeles (Lincoln Heights).]
Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.
Blog about Padre Antonio José Martínez, Cura de Taos. When he died, his peers in the USA Territorial Assembly for NM wrote on his epitaph, "La Honra de Su País" – The Honor of His Homeland. The last decade of his life–in the years following the American occupation– was clouded by controversy with his new bishop. Fray Angelioc Chavez in My Penitente Land called him "New Mexico's greatest son." This blog is dedicated to the life and legacy of this priest, educator, printer-publisher, lawyer-politician, rancher, patriot.
