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St. Francis de Paula pays tribute to Dominican priests

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Father James Farfaglia, pastor of St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in San Diego, blesses a monument to the Dominican priests unveiled on Sunday, June 7, after the 11:30 a. m. Mass. Photos by Mike Garcia . While the venerable Father Claude Jaillet, Padre Claudio , is considered El Fundador of St. Francis de Paula in San Diego, and Father John Peter Bard, Padre Pedro , El Misionero , built the faith and physical foundations of the parish, it was the arrival of Father Juan Zabala, El Constructor , and the priests of the Dominican Order that completed making St. Francis de Paula the incredible place of worship it is today. On Sunday, June 7, after the 11:30 a.m. Mass, the St. Francis de Paula community came together to honor these venerable men of the church. Some 85 parishioners stayed to participate in the unveiling of a marker honoring the lineage of legendary Dominican pastors who walked San Diego’s streets, visited the sick, and shaped their lives over the decades. Father Juan Za...
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A Little Nostalgia from 2015

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I ran across this blog I contributed to a site in England back in 2015. I hope you enjoy the nostalgia as much as I did. ----- The Writing Deak - Mastodon - 11 March 2015 https://tonyriches.blogspot.com/2015/03/guest-post-balos-war-historical-novel.html?m=0   Guest Post Balo's War, A Historical Novel About the Plan of San Diego by Alfredo E. Cárdenas Balo's War uses a variety of characters, real and imagined, to tell the story of a people who went from being Spaniards to Mexicans to Americans in just 30 years. They struggled to hold on to their land, their language, their culture, and their history—against insurmountable odds. At times, this struggle resorted to violence. Available at www.MCMBooks.com on Amazon US and Amazon UK Writing a historical novel presents many challenges, not the least of which is getting the history right. In my first novel, Balo's War, A Historical Novel About the Plan of San Diego , I had no problem getting the overarching history right from th...
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Part V

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Changing Political Ideas Through Eras in Texas Alfredo E. Cárdenas Part 5 of a Series At the height of the Depression, Archie Parr began his downslide in politics, with his heir apparent being his son George. However, George seemed to have always been getting into trouble and was finally convicted of Federal income tax evasion, sent to Federal prison. Archie managed to get George out on parole within a year. But, as a convicted felon, the son had to give up his post as county judge and forfeited his right to hold office or vote. A decade later, President Harry Truman granted George a presidential pardon, and he reentered elective office for a few turbulent years. While the present scholarship maintains that the Parrs ruled as despots without restraint, the Parr hold on the politics of Duval County was intrinsically wedded to the Tejano community through friendship and mutual loyalty. After his father’s death, George took complete control of the county’s political apparatus and ambitiou...
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Tejanos made significant contributions to Duval County

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  Changing Political Ideas Through Eras in Texas Alfredo E. Cárdenas Part 4 of a Series Tejanos made significant contributions to Duval County’s history and progress in fields beyond politics. While Tejano businesses multiplied during the Parr era from 1912 to 1975, they had always been part of the commercial establishment, operating mom-and-pop stores in the barrios. By the 1930s, they managed dealerships for some of the most prominent corporate brands in the country, such as Chevrolet, Ford, and Texaco. During the Great Depression (1929–1939), Tejanos held professional positions, including four doctors, three pharmacists, five school administrators, and a lawyer. They also held trade jobs, including 42 barbers, 21 mechanics, 20 butchers, eight bakers, and two printers. With 95 Tejano employees, they made up 94 percent of the county’s workforce. During the Archie Parr era, Tejanos also made their mark in education. In 1932, for example, every member of the San Diego school board w...
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Duval County Tejanos Step up to Govern

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Changing Political Ideas Through Eras in Texas Alfredo E. Cárdenas Part 3 of a Series After dispatching his family to safety in Corpus Christi, Benavides County Commissioner Archie Parr went to San Diego and offered help to the Tejano community, counseling them to refrain from responding in kind; he advised vengeance would be a mistake. While an all-Americano jury in faraway East Texas acquitted the three Americano shooters, the history of Duval County changed forever. Tejanos finally began to take command of their political destiny. They shared power with Parr, but make no mistake, Parr would be a footnote in history had it not been for the overwhelming Tejano vote with which he partnered. Indeed, Tejanos were already marching towards the same disposition; it may have taken longer without the Parrs, but the trend and numbers indicate that Tejanos would soon dominate politics. “What can we expect from a political party that has its genesis in spilling Mexican blood?” La Libertad publ...
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Duval County Political Development Through History, Part II

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Duval County Political Development Through History Alfredo E. Cárdenas Part 2 of a Series Duval County Tejanos saw promise in the new land laws adopted by Texas, which were designed to protect their land ownership, which they had acquired from Spain and Mexico. Moreover, the Texas political structure could serve as a vehicle to achieve goals of protecting not only their land but also ensuring their political liberties . Since only a handful of Americanos lived in the unorganized county of Duval before the Civil War, Tejanos were in a position to dominate the electoral process. Duval County Tejanos began to assert their political rights in a special election called by the governor in 1860 to select a district judge who would determine their land rights. The Tejanos’ choice for the judgeship won the election, but Governor Sam Houston threw out the Duval votes, giving the win to one of his financial and political supporters. The district court ruled in favor of the Tejano candidate. The...
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Duval County Political History Through Time

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Duval County Political Development Through History Alfredo E. Cárdenas Part 1 of a Series. Duval County Tejanos: An Epic Narrative of Liberty and Democracy , my recently published book by the University of North Texas Press, delves into the remarkable historical narrative of Mexican-American (Tejano) involvement in Duval County, aiming to achieve parity in social, economic, and political spheres with Americanos. Duval County Tejanos spans over two centuries, showcasing the changes adopted and developed by Tejanos from the days under Spanish rule (1746-1821) and extending beyond the end of the Parr regime. Published scholarship on Duval County during the Archie, George, and Archer Parr era (1912–1975) portrays a scenario in which bosses exploited the poor and uneducated Mexican population for personal gain and enrichment. However, Tejanos, early on, persisted in a modus vivendi of partnering with the administration holding political power. This strategic approach aimed to forge a mutua...
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