It quickly becomes apparent that the bishop is there to serve the people of the Santa Fe diocese. Completing the 3,000-mile trip, he returns to Santa Fe and takes control of the diocese. Latour rides 1,500 miles to Durango and gets the document. Since his documents were also lost in the shipwreck, the rebelling priests demand a signed document from the bishop in Durango, Mexico. When Bishop Latour finally gets to Santa Fe, he faces a revolt from lazy, selfish priests. His prayers are answered, and soon he finds his way. Kneeling in the brush, he prays to God for guidance. He loses his clothing and papers in a shipwreck and gets lost in the New Mexico desert. When Father Latour receives his bishopric, he begins the difficult journey to New Mexico. The missionary bishop tells the cardinals a French missionary priest in his own diocese, Father Jean Marie Latour, would make an excellent candidate for the diocese. The American Southwest seems like a vast, unknown land to the cardinals and they know starting a new diocese will be difficult and expensive. The New Mexico Territory has just been acquired and lacks a bishop. The story begins in Rome with a French missionary bishop from the United States requesting assistance from the Vatican. The name used in the novel is Archbishop Jean Marie Latour. Cather renames Archbishop Lamy for the story. This is a majestic novel about the life of Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy, the first bishop of Santa Fe, N.M. “Death Comes for the Archbishop” is an example of her interest and talent. The stories of immigrant families also formed an important element in some of her best writing, such as the famous novel “My Antonia.” Though not a Catholic, her novels are frequently centered on Catholic characters and themes. The impact of the American West is present in many of her novels. This interest in journalistic writing will later evolve into a desire to write fiction.

She grew up in Red Cloud and attended the University of Nebraska.Īt the university, Cather studied English and started a career in journalism. Willa Cather is the most famous author in history from Nebraska.

University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1999, 315 pages, Grades 9 through adult. “Death Comes for the Archbishop: Scholarly Edition” by Willa Cather

Death comes to the archbishop review