Tag: San Bernardino

Franciscan Name of some cities of California Los Angeles San Francisco…

Franciscan Name of some California Cities

The franciscan origin of name of some cities of California state is explained with the spanish origin of California.

Before becoming a state of United States of America (1850), California was a spanish new land and

as use from the nighth of ages,

the spirit of pilgrims was intris of religious ideal coming from the earth of origin.

Franciscan spirituality very diffuse in the spain and latin america of 1600-1700

and it was normal to give the franciscan name to the river and mountain of new land.

Los Angeles e.g. was an abbreviation of more long spanish name:

Ciudad de la Iglesia de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Ángeles sobre la Porziúncola de Asis
(City of church of our lady queen of the Angels of Porziuncola di Assisi)

The primitive village, on the river named  the Porciuncula River, was founded in 1769 perhaps the 2nd of August anniversary of celebration of ‘Festa del Perdono‘ in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi.

Of this long name lives only Los Angeles, or more short LA,

but the link with the italian borgo of ‘Santa Maria degli Angeli’ of Assisi is very strong.

San Francisco and Santa Clara are the names of the foundators of Franciscanum movement or ordo, according the tradional way to organize cattholic religious lives.

The franciscan ordo are three, male, female, and lay people community because St. Francis wanted also an ordo for lay people the famous franciscan third ordo, the Second Council Vatican (that will emphasize lay people) will be celebrated after seven centuries of St. Francis and St. Clare age.

Not virtual but real Community people that live togheter according the Gospel word.

Other Cities

The city of San Bernardino take his name from famous St. Bernardino da Siena, the franciscan saint very famous for his predication about the power of jesus name.

The string JES that becoming IHS (Iesus Homo Salvator est) was the initial of name of Jesus and was written in the middle of sun. It was the symbol of his speach.

Also Cupertino is an abbreviation of St. Joseph from Cupertino, the saint Joseph born in the italian city of Cupertino, and famous for his estrordinary charisma, e.g. he was used to ascend two meters from the land to go to visìt the sacramento of altar (Sacramento an other franciscan name!).

An other example is the San Juan Capistrano City from St, John from Capestrano that was an other franciscan saint, born in the city of Capestrano.

Claudio Pace 2018 7  13