The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 107, July 2003 - April, 2004 Page: 22
660 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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22 Southwestern Historical Quarterly July
The construction of San Fernando Church had an obvious beginning,
but its repairs, uses, and remodeling indicate its continuing growth as a
"living" institution, one that still satisfies the changing needs of its com-
munity. As is evident from the cited documents, the church completed
in 1755 was defective. In 1771, the town council explained to Governor
Ripperda that maintenance of the church, along with other public
works, had depleted their resources over the years. They hoped that
these expenses would exempt them from contributing to the governor's
projects for a new Casas Reales, presidial jail, and military quarters.
Ripperdi, however, did not agree with their assessment and the citizenry
had to support the governor's plans.49
The church designed in the middle of the eighteenth century under-
went significant changes in the nineteenth century as time and natural
disasters affected the church's architectural integrity. In January 1809
Victor Blanco was appointed mayordomo for its reconstruction after a
fire. The amount of 586 pesos, 7.5 reales was collected for those
repairs. In 1825 Juan Nepomuceno de la Pefia, an ecclesiastical judge
(vicario fordneo) inspecting the Texas parishes, found the church in the
greatest need. Moreover, the mayordomos (including Blanco) of the
church building fund at San Fernando were accused of negligence.
Bookkeeping was not their strength. Of the contested amounts, the
mayordomos claimed that 1,ooo pesos were stolen by the insurgents in
1813. They had also loaned unauthorized amounts from the fund. In
1828 fire damaged the church and its records, while other fires had
also occurred. There were temporary repairs following the 1828
episode, but it was not until 1841, following the visitation of Jean Marie
Odin, later bishop of Texas, that essential repairs were carried out. In
June 1858 a part of the roof collapsed, bringing down the choir loft
and church organ.50
Between September 27, 1868, and October 6, 1873, the church was
redesigned under the direction of Francois Giraud and enlarged in an
"Libro I de bautismos, casamientos, y entierros," ff. 179-18o (SFCA; reference courtesy of
Robert E. Wright). See numerous references from mission inventories cited m Jacmto Quirarte,
The Art and Architecture of the Texas Missions (Austin: University of Texas Press, 200oo2).
49 "Representac6n hecha al sefior Bar6n de Ripperda por el honorable cabildo," Feb. 17,
1771, NAC-T, V, 27-40; Ripperdi's response, Feb. 2o, 1771, ibid., 40-45-
S0 Bishop Primo [Feliciano Marin de Porras] to Gov. Manuel de Salcedo, Feb. 13, 1809 (copy),
reel 40:0144, BA; "Manifestando al pibhco la inversi6n del dlnero colectado para la recomposl-
ci6n de la iglesia," M. de Salcedo, Oct. 4, 18o9 (draft), [Cuaderno borrador], f. Iv, NAC, reel
26. See also Parisot and Smith, History of the Catholic Church, 63; Habig, The Alamo Chain, 262,
Castafieda, Our Catholic Heritage, VI, 351-353; VII, 46, 50, 73-74; and "Libro de gobierno y visita
... 1825," Apr. 8, 1825, ff. 9-9v (SFCA). About the 1841 repairs, Torrente rhapsodized "[T]he
old church was restored to its pristine form and beauty"; Old and New San Fernando, 17, which
also dates the fire in 1825 See also Cecilha Steinfeldt, San Antonio Was: Seen through a Magic
Lantern (San Antonio: San Antonio Museum Association, 1978), 134.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 107, July 2003 - April, 2004, periodical, 2004; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101224/m1/40/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.