Soy de Duval

A packed sanctuary came out to St. Francis de Paula in San Diego to learn about relics. Photos by Father James Farfaglia Father Carlos Martins Last night, November 28, 2022,  Father Carlos Martins, a Vatican-appointed expert on relics, presented an extraordinary Vatican collection of over 150 relics, some as old as 2,000 years, at St. Francis de Paula in San Diego.  Among the treasures was  a portion of the Veil of Our Lady and one of the largest remaining pieces of the True Cross in the world.  "Treasures of the Church" is a ministry of evangelization of the Catholic Church.  Directed by Father Martins, its purpose is to give people an experience of the living God through an encounter with the relics of his saints in the form of an exposition.  The exposition began with a multi-media presentation on the Church’s use of relics that is scriptural, catechetical, and devotional, leading to a renewal of the Catholic faith for many people. Attendees were ab...

Photo by Thelma Bazan Cuellar Sonia Barrera, Guest Blogger On Saturday, Nov. 19, nearly 200 descendants of San José’s founding family braved wind, rain, and unseasonable cold to dedicate an official Texas Historical Marker at the Antonio López Family Cemetery. Eight generations of López are laid to rest at the cemetery established circa 1903. “This official historical marker represents a link to the past, not just for our family, but for all Texans," Laura De La Rosa, the event’s master of ceremonies and a three times great-granddaughter of Antonio Lopez, said. "It’s an acknowledgment of the role our ancestors played in settling this area and in helping to build this Great State of Texas.”  The San Diego VFW Post 8931 Color Guard opened the ceremony, and Father George Thomas Parappallil, Pastor of Saint Joseph Mission in San José, provided a blessing. Duval County Judge E. B. Garcia read the Texas Historical Commission’s proclamation of the cemetery’s historical status. The C...

  Andres Tijerina signs book for one of many admirers who came to the Witte Museum in San Antonio to hear about the author's latest epic work.  An overflow crowd showed up at the  Ewing Halsell Hall at the Witte Museum on Sunday, November 20, to admire the work of San Diego Tejano artist Ricardo Beasley depicted in Andres Tijerina's latest book Beasley's Vaqueros . A large number of those in attendance came from Duval County and the surrounding area and most if not all purchased a book. In his presentation, Tijerina praised not only Beasley and his art but also the many vaqueros which were the subject of the artist's drawings.  The works are on display at Witte's  Russell Hill Rogers Art Gallery and will remain on exhibit until March 20, 2023. Friends of Ricardo Beasley came out in great numbers to pay tribute and give recognition to his talented works.

Parishioners at St. Francis de Paula in San Diego are witnessing ongoing renovations every week. By Father James Farfaglia,  Guest Blogger St. Francis de Paula in San Diego is currently renovating its stained-glass windows. This is part of a larger preservation project of the inside of the church, with an expected completion in Summer 2023. Dario  Bucheli The new carpet is being installed this week. The inside of the church has already been painted and looks really nice.   Next,  Dario  Bucheli will clean and renovate the parish's statuary and  the gold leaf stars on the blue dome. This should be completed by Christmas. Bucheli and Adrian Cavallini have  been professionally clean ing the Stations of the Cross. The newly renovated Stations of the Cross will be delivered next Tuesday, November 22.  The final phase, pending final approval from Bishop Mulvey, is the sanctuary upgrade. The St. Francis de Paula Renovation Project is ma...

Cover of a new book on the art of Ricardo Beasley. By  Juanita García Tijerina , Guest Blogger The Texas State Historical Association has published Andrés Tijerina’s book Beasley’s Vaqueros: The Memoirs, Art, and Poems of Ricardo M. Beasley  on the art of San Diego native Ricardo Beasley. Andrés  Tijerina  Andrés Tijerina has written many books on Tejanos and Texas history and has won many national awards for his books. Still, the best ones are about South Texas ranch families and vaqueros. One of my favorites was his Tejano Empire: Life on the South Texas Ranchos , which includes many of Beasley’s art drawings. In writing  Beasley’s Vaqueros Andrés relied on the people of San Diego and surrounding towns for leads on the original Beasley drawings, among them Tomas Molina, Chuck Barrera, Servando Hinojosa, and Homero Vera. Homero took him to the old Jerry’s Restaurant in San Diego, where one of the drawings was still on the wall. Lupe still had five drawings...

A standing-room-only crowd attended a  presentation sponsored by the Duval County Historical Commission at the District Courtroom in San Diego. Graciela Treviño Gonzáles, Guest Blogger An overflow crowd gathered at the 229th District Courtroom in San Diego on October 15 to observe the Centennial and honor the memory of three men, Vicente Aguilar, Dionisio Maldonado, and Crescencio Oliveira Jr., slain by Texas Rangers in 1920 in Bruni. They were on their way to a wedding in Parás, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, where Oliveira was to marry María de Jesús “Chuchita” Gutiérrez. Keynote speaker Dr. Carmona. “It was important to correct the narrative,” Lydia Oliveira Canales of Benavides said. Canales is a longtime Duval County Historical Commission member that sponsored the gathering. “The evil was in those that abused their power with vigilante justice.” The incident involved the killing of three Mexicanos by Texas Rangers in 1920 when Texas Rangers, local sheriff’s departments, and vigilante gro...