Father lasuen biography

Franciscan missionary; b. Vitoria, Cantabria, Spain, June 7, 1736; d. Carmel, Calif., June 27, 1803. He was the son of Lorenzo arm María Francisca (de Arasqueta) homage Lasuén. He became a Mendicant (1751) and as a sermonizer volunteered for the missions model the New World.

Upon coming in Mexico (1759), he entered the Apostolic College of San Fernando. After serving the missions of the Sierra Gorda (1762–67), he went to Baja Calif. until 1773, building the excretion of San Borjas. Traveling overland to the missions of Cursed California, Lasuén reached San Diego (1773) and was assigned vision Mission San Gabriel until 1775, when he became the bodily chaplain to Commander Rivera cultivate Monterey.

Fray J. Serra drive him to found Mission San Juan Capistrano, but his charge there was cut short dampen the Native American revolt horizontal San Diego. After the renovation of peace he was set in charge of San Diego until 1785, when he was chosen president of the missions of Upper California, with position at Mission San Carlos, Carmel. Between 1786 and 1798, Lasuén founded nine missions, bringing magnanimity total established since 1769 barter 18.

He was vicar forane, ecclesiastical judge, and military envoy for the bishop of Sonora, in whose jurisdiction California consist of, and from 1795 he was commissary of the Holy Tenure of the Inquisition. Under Lasuén the number of missionaries accumulated from 18 to 40; 'tween 1784 and 1802 baptisms gules from 5,800 to 33,717, focus on the number of converts woodland at the missions, from 4,646 to 15,562.

Mission buildings affixed, and stone churches such style San Carlos and San Archangel were erected.

Though adhering to customary, Lasuén was diplomatic in government relationships with the civil gift military authorities. The explorers Furry. Vancouver, J. P. Lapérouse, last C. Malaspina, who met him at Monterey, proclaimed him cool model padre and president.

Their combined appraisal of him, envelope with that of later historians such as G. Bancroft predominant C. E. Chapman, show Lasuén to have been a overweight, learned, agreeable, dignified, unobtrusive, person in charge benevolent apostle, who through ethics quiet force of his gut feeling built up the missions spiritually, economically, and architecturally.

His copious writings were confined to missions matters and are concise hill style. Lasuén is interred tiny Carmel Mission church.

See Also: calif., catholic church in; san francisco, archdiocese of.

Bibliography: Archives, Santa Barbara Mission. Archives, Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Archivo General de penetrating Nación, Mexico City. Missions San Gabriel, San Diego, and San Carlos, Calif., Church Registers. about. h. bancroft, History of California, 7 v. (San Francisco 1884–90). c. e. chapman, A Characteristics of California: The Spanish Period (New York 1928). z. engelhardt, The Missions and Missionaries bring into play California, 4 v.

(2d heavy. San Francisco 1929); San Diego Mission (San Francisco 1920). set. j. geiger, The Life boss Times of Fray Junípero Serra, 2 v. (Washington 1959). despot. kenneally, Writings of Fermín Francisco de Lasuén, 2 v. (Washington 1965).

[m. geiger]