The Prefecture, 1840-1841
47
for more than a year and that had given the Vice-Prefect no small concern had come. The matter had weighed heavily on both their minds. Odin felt that he had to act in order to put an end to the scandal. Monday morning, August 3, he went to see Garza, and showed him Timon's letters authorizing Odin to remove him as pastor and withdraw his Faculties. Contrary to general belief, the circumstances of the actual act of removal were simple. In Odin's own words, "'Seeing,' I said, 'that the people are totally uninstructed in their faith and ignorant of their moral responsibilities, that the children have been taught no catechism and are undisciplined in Christian habits, and that the dying are deprived of the comforts of religion, my duty obliges me to assign to this town a younger, more active, and more zealous pastor'." Having thus simply stated the case against the old parish priest, Odin asked him to turn over the parish records and the church keys. Visibly per- turbed, Garza obeyed "without any threat of contumacy." 23 On August 7, Odin called on Valdez and withdrew his Faculties. The old Spanish clerics had ceased to practice their ministry in San Antonio by express orders of the Vice-Prefect. 24 The representative of the Pope in Texas had asserted his authority and exercised his power to end an intolerable situation. The last vestige of Spanish and Mexican ecclesiastical juris- diction in Texas had been removed. That same day Odin installed Father Calvo as pastor of San Fer- nando and made a note of the fact in the Baptismal Register. 25 With the assistance of Jose Navarro, Jose Flores de Abrego, John McMullen, trustees, and Mayor John W. Smith, he made an inventory of the church property, which consisted of a small collection of liturgical things, various vestments, and some old silver plate. Upon being told that Garza 23 0din to Blanc, August 24, 1840; Odin to Etienne, April 11, 1841, C. A. T. The failings of the clerics are effectively summarized in Odin's statement. Vague imaginings have long surrounded these two men. Odin's letters detailing his findings were unknown until recently. Timon in his report to Etienne (October 26, 1840) gave rise to the "unspeakable" character of their lives. He said, ".Mr. Odin has put an end to the flagrant scandal of the two Mexican priests in San Antonio. His account of their enormities is more than a little terrifying." This broad condemna- tory statement has given rise to the darkest imaginings. 24 Neither Refugio de la Garza nor Jose Valdez was left destitute as a result of the cancellation of their Faculties. There is no foundation for the alleged bargain between Odin and the discredited priests. For records of property owned by the two clerics, see Bexar Co1111ty Records, A2, 428f; Odin, Diary, entry for October IS, 1840 ; Headright Record, I, 7 3, in Bexar County Courthouse for grant of one-third league of land to Jose Valdez. 25 Baptismal Register IV, 1826-1857, San Fernando Cathedral Archives.
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