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LOS
FLORIDANOS ANCESTORS
FATHER ALONSO de LETURIONDO, 1655-1702
By
Dick Rousseau
One
of the most influential and lesser known individuals in the history
of St. Augustine was Father Alonso de Leturiondo, born in 1655
in St. Augustine; the son of Maria Solana and Domingo de Leturiondo.
Domingo
de Leturiondo was a longtime resident of St. Augustine and a native
of the village of Ascoitia in the northern part of Spain. Maria
Solana was the daughter of Alonso Solana, a native of the village
of San Martin de Valde Iglesias near the city of Toledo, Spain.
Maria's
father, Alonso Solana had moved to Florida early in his life and
during his seventy-five years stationed at the presidio of St.
Augustine had worked his way up from a soldier to Sergeant Major,
all the while establishing one of St. Augustine's most prolific
and widely connected families. Alonso de Letuerindo was then born
into a family that, if not the most prestigious in St. Augustine
ranked among the town's elite.
Little
is known of Father Leturiondo's early life in St. Augustine. Parish
records indicate that he was baptized in the parish church by
Father Pedro Juan de Oliva. He studied basic grammar under the
local parish priest who conducted classes for the city's children.
He might have also received some of his education at the hands
of the Franciscans in the convent of San Francisco. Before he
was ten years of age, he was sent to New Spain (Mexico) to complete
his education, it's apparently having been decided that he would
enter the priesthood.
By the time Leturiondo began his studies, a degree from a university
was considered essential for priests who hoped to win a parish
benefice. In New Spain he attended the schools of San Pedre and
Jan Juan and served in the city's cathedral. He studied courses
in grammar, rhetoric, and philosophy; including such courses as
Latin and Spanish; classical works by Cicero and Virgil, to name
a few. In May 1672 at the age of seventeen, he sat for exams and
was awarded the degree of "Bachiller" from the University
of Mexico.
He
was subsequently awarded the Bachiller of Theology in 1676 in
Guatemala City; and ordained by the bishop of Guatemala in 1679.
At this point he was allowed to say mass. He was finally awarded
his license to administer the sacraments in March of 1680.
Once
ordained, Leturiondo was granted a license as confessor general
for the archbishop of Mexico and Cuba. He served in that capacity
for six years.
In
1686 he returned to St. Augustine as parish priest where he served
until 1700 when he was transferred to Havana and subsequently
passed away in about 1702.
Upon
his return to St. Augustine in 1686 he found the city had gone
through significant changes. The population had nearly tripled
to somewhere between 1,400 and 1,500 residents. The Castillo de
San Marcos had been built which had given rise to a significant
increase in the town's population. The pirate raid of Robert Searles
in 1668 and series of raids by the French, British, and Dutch
in the 1680's had devastated the town's economy.
He
found that it was a community polarized by the struggle between
Governor Cabrera and the city's clerics. As parish priest, Father
Leturiondo became the leader of the ecclesiastics and attempted
to mediate a peace between the contending factions. He had some
success and soon was able to dedicate his time to parish business.
He reorganized the parish records, summarizing baptisms by year.
Baptism records were particularly important in proving legitimacy,
and parish priests were often requested to verify the birth records
of citizens applying for marriage or governmental positions.
In
addition to his administrative concerns, Father Leturiondo sought
to improve the conditions in the city and the church. He began
offering classes in Latin and Spanish grammar to the children
of St. Augustine, reinvigorating an education system that been
allowed to deteriorate.
He also increased the staff of the parish church, adding the paid
position of organist and the addition of two young men to help
in the choir and at the altar. Spending not only his own earnings,
but also his inheritance, Leturiondo bought silver furnishings,
vestments, and other necessities of worship. His largest investment
was in funding a parsonage at a cost of more than 5,000 pesos.
At the time, 5,000 pesos represented roughly thirteen times the
annual salary of the parish priest.
From 1686 to 1700 religious life in St. Augustine revolved around
the capable personality of Father Alonso de Leturiondo. During
these years the parishioners of St. Augustine experienced a stable
and professionally administered religion punctuated by brief periods
of conflict between the Crown representatives and the church.
Like most parish priests in Spanish America, Leturiondo maintained
a fragile working relationship with the Crown representatives
and religious community. He had disagreements with Governors Cabrera,
Quiroga and Torres. These conflicts were centered around the relationship
of power struggle between both factions.
For the parishioners of St. Augustine, Father Leturiondo offered
a usually tranquil religious environment. He provided firm direction
of St. Augustine's religious life and was a leader in the secular
and ecclesiastic community.
As a parish priest, Father Leturiondo carried out the duties of
his office in a vibrant and professional manner. A placid religious
life of baptisms weddings, funerals, and processions dominated
his tenure as parish priest. In maintaining a peaceful religious
atmosphere, Father Leturiondo worked with other community leaders;
governors, royal officials, and Franciscans. There were many conflicts,
but Father Leturiondo peaceably resolved most.
We, as Los Floridanos, should be proud of and recognize the contributions
of one of our family members as a leader in our St. Augustine
history during the First Spanish Period.
(Reference: For a full and more complete history of Father Leturiondo's
life in St. Augustine refer to
"Religious, Power, and Politics in Colonial St. Augustine"
by Robert L. Kapitzke;
University Press of Florida; 2001 from which the information for
this article was taken).
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