Segundo Llorente
Segundo Llorente Villa,
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Early life in Spain
Childhood and youth
Segundo Llorente Villa was born on November 18, 1906, in
Missionary vocation
During his novitiate years, Llorente’s devotion to his chosen career solidified. Young and passionate, he became obsessed with the
, but he refused. Thus, he had to wait.While studying
(1927), he entered into deep religious and philosophical discussions. Finally in 1930, at age 24, he received permission to go to Alaska due to his determination and persistence.Life in the United States
Education
After arriving in America, Llorente attended Gonzaga University, a Jesuit institution in Spokane, Washington, to learn English. Becoming proficient, he began teaching at Gonzaga Preparatory School in the same city. He started writing his first articles at the same time, which were published in the religious journal Century Mission.
In 1931, he studied
In the "Arctic Circle"
In the fall of 1935, Llorente arrived in Alaska. His first mission was at Akulurak, on the south bank of the
In 1938, he was assigned to the far north mission of
Most of Llorente's best known stories about experiences in Akulurak,
State representative
Father Segundo Llorente | |
---|---|
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 24th district | |
In office January 23, 1961 – January 27, 1963 | |
Preceded by | Axel C. Johnson |
Succeeded by | (as the 19th District) Axel C. Johnson |
In 1958, the Territory of Alaska became the 49th state of the United States by virtue of the passage of the Alaska Statehood Act by the U.S. Congress. The results of the already-conducted territorial primary elections (described by Alaskan historian R. N. DeArmond as "the lost primary") were abandoned and elections for state offices were called by territorial governor Mike Stepovich, who resigned from office to launch a campaign for the U.S. Senate, challenging eventual winner Ernest Gruening. Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, statehood was officially proclaimed on January 3, 1959, which was also the first day of the 86th United States Congress.
The second elections for state offices occurred in 1960. Fr. Llorente was already serving his community in a minor function in the remote
Upon Fr. Llorente’s surprising election, his religious superiors accepted his election after reviewing his mission, and he became the first Catholic priest elected to a state legislature. His term of office coincided with the term of
Later career and death
Fr. Llorente returned to Spain only once, in 1963, on a trip designed to encourage vocations in the priesthood. He wrote twelve books about Alaska throughout his life, all but one in Spanish, although he was perfectly fluent in English. (He could converse in
Llorente died at Jesuit House in
Bibliography
Llorente wrote hundreds of deeply moving and engaging essays with unusual cheerfulness about his challenging religious vocation in extremely frigid and difficult conditions. In letters and articles, he described the day-to-day lives and stories of Eskimo peoples that were published in mission journals, mainly in the now defunct "Century Mission." Selected articles were later compiled, which led to the publication of autobiographical books in both Spanish and English.
Cuarenta años en el círculo Polar ("Forty Years in the Arctic Circle"), his best known work, is an anthology of his previous books. It was compiled by Fr. José A. Mestre, who also was a Jesuit. In the volume’s prologue and epilogue, his brother Fr. Amando Llorente called him "Hercules of God and the Missions" (Hércules de Dios y de las Misiones) who was happy to be a priest that would not keep anything from God.
Fr. Segundo Llorente’s books include:
- Memoirs of a Yukon Priest, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1990, ISBN 0-87840-494-5
- En el país de los eternos hielos: Alaska boreal ("In the Land of Perpetual Ice: Boreal Alaska"), 1939
- En las lomas del Polo Norte ("In the Hills of the North Pole"), 1942, 1956
- De la desembocadura del Yukon ("From the Mouth of the Yukon"), 1948, 1964
- Chronicas Akulurakeñas—continuacion de la desembocadura del Yukon ("Akulurak Chronicles—continuation of 'From the Mouth of the Yukon'"), 1948
- A orillas del "Kusko" ("On the Banks of the 'Kusko'"), 1951
- Aventuras del círculo Polar ("Arctic Circle Adventures"), 1951, 1952
- En las costas del mar de Bering ("On the Coast of the Bering Sea"), 1953
- Trineos y eskimales—entre Alaska y México, 1952–1956 ("Sleds and Eskimos—Between Alaska and Mexico, 1952–1956"), 1957
- 28 años en Alaska ("28 Years in Alaska"), 1963
- Cuarenta años en el círculo Polar. Antología. ("Forty Years in the Arctic Circle. Anthology"), compiled by Amando Llorente S.J. & José Ángel Mestre, Ediciones Sígueme, 1990, ISBN 978-84-301-1107-7
References
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2011) ) |
- Fr. Segundo Llorente, Cuarenta años en el círculo polar. Antología., compiled by Amando Llorente S.J. & José Ángel Mestre, Ediciones Sígueme, 4th edition, 2001. ISBN 84-301-1110-7
- A. Santos Hernandez, Alaska a traves de las cartes del P. Segundo Llorente, 1948.
- Fr. Segundo Llorente S.J., Aventureros del círculo Polar, Editorial el siglo de las misiones, 1952.
- Fr. Segundo Llorente, En el país de los eternos hielos, Editorial el siglo de las misiones, 1937.
- Juan José Presa Santos, Padre Llorente: "Objetivo Alaska"... el cielo sí le oyó, Gráficas Tecnicrom S.A., 1995. ISBN 84-605-3684-X
- Atwood, Evangeline; DeArmond, Robert N. (1977). Who's Who in Alaskan Politics. Portland: Binford & Mort for the Alaska Historical Commission. p. 58.
- Alaska Legislature Roster of Members 1913-2010 (PDF). . 2010. pp. 38, 97. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
- Official Returns - General Election - November 8, 1960 (PDF). Juneau: Office of the Alaska Secretary of State. 1960. p. 27. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
External links
- Segundo Llorente: The Legendary Jesuit Missionaire in the North Pole
- Alaska's Digital Archives - the House of Representatives of the 2nd Legislature gather for a photo on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol. Llorente is fifth from left in the back row, standing in front one of the marble columns of the capitol's entrance.
- Fr. Llorente at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
- Segundo Llorente at Find a Grave