THE NEW BISHOP - A TALE FROM THE HISPANIC SOUTHWEST

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The following story is from a book titled

CUENTOS - Tales from the Hispanic Southwest,

by Jose Griego y Maestas & Rudolfo A. Anaya.

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The New Bishop

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IT HAD BEEN MANY YEARS since Archbishop Zubiria

of Durango had crossed the Jornado del Muerto [Journey of Death] to visit his flock in the farthest part of his diocese in New Mexico.  Thus people in a small and isolated village were very happy that his Excellency, the new bishop of Santa Fe, was coming to administer the sacrament of Confirmation to their children.  A big feast was planned, and the local parish priest went about telling everyone to prepare for the visit of this very important church dignitary.

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The people had never seen the bishop, so they were overjoyed

to have the opportunity to meet him.  The day the bishop arrived the priest took him to the sacristy where he could meet the people before he administered Confirmation to the children.  But the people, in their excitement, forgot how to greet him.  The men came in first, but none remembered how to address the bishop, and in their awe of him they made many mistakes.

One bowed and said, "How do you do,

 your holiness San Joaquin."

Others greeted him by saying, "How do you do,

most holy Saint Anthony."

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And one woman was so flabbergasted she said,

"How do you do, oh blessed Virgin Mary."

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Finally one man entered and said,

"How do you do, your Excellency."

When this man greeted him correctly the shocked bishop was pleased he had finally met someone who could speak good Castilian Spanish.  He took the man aside and whispered confidently, "Isn't it a shame that these people are so backward and ignorant that they don't even know how to greet me?"

The man replied sarcastically, "Yes, my paisanos [country folk] are a humble people.  Who else would address Your Excellency as a saint or as the Virgin Mary, when it's plain to see you're neither a saint nor a virgin."

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