P.S.
Stella Pope Duarte
Father Hidalgo’s bittersweet farewell By Stella Pope Duarte
DON MIGUEL HIDALGO Y COSTILLA
LV FHOHEUDWHG DV WKH *HRUJH (+<2371=87 80 /A3-8 =2/ 0+=2/; 80 23< FRXQWU\ +H ZDV WKH ¿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¿HVWDV +7. -/5/,;+=387< / 2+. + 1;/+= <8-3+5 -87<-3/7-/ 28@/?/; +7. =;>5B 58?/. =2/ 9/895/ 2/ </;?/. / <+@ 28@ >74><=5B =2/ 7.3+7< @/;/ =;/+=/. ,B =2/ $9+73<2 +7. ;/<85?/. =8 0;// =2/6 IURP WKH ³WD[ RI VKDPH´ WKDW WKH\ KDG 9+3. 08; =88 5871 2Q 6HSWHPEHU )DWKHU 3.+518 -536,/. =2/ =8@/; 80 23< -2>;-2 37 858;/< /A3-8 /+;5B 37 =2/ 68;7371
;+71 =2/ -2>;-2 ,/55< +7. 36958;/. =2/ 9/895/ =8 08558@ 236 %2/ 9/895/ 1+=2/;/. DQG KHDUG D ¿HU\ VSHHFK DVNLQJ WKHP ³:KR ZLOO IROORZ PH"´ 7KHQ +LGDOJR FULHG RXW LQ D ORXG YRLFH ³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³0D\ *RG KDYH PHUF\ 87 6/ M %2/ 08558@371 B/+; 87 +;-2 +LGDOJR DQG KLV JHQHUDOV ZKLOH 5> B?ED5 =8 =2/ &73=/. $=+=/< =8 9>;-2+</ VXSSOLHV WR UHSOHQLVK WKHLU ZHDNHQHG
+;6B @/;/ -+9=>;/. ,B /7/;+5 53C87.8 80 =2/ #8B+5 ;6B =2/7 ,8>7. 37 -2+37< +7. =;+7<98;=/. =8 232>+2>+ =8 +@+3= /A/->=387 ?/7=>+55B =2/3; </?/;/. 2/+.< @8>5. ,/ 2>71 37 3;87 -+1/< 87 =2/ 08>; -8;7/;< 80 =2/ <8Q>4971 45 B1>149D1C LQ *XDQDMXDWR $Q\RQH ZKR ORRNHG XSRQ =2/6 @3=2 <B69+=2B @+< =2;/+=/7/. @3=2 ./+=2 ,B #8B+53<= <85.3/;< %/7 B/+;< @/7= ,B +7. =2/ ;/6+37< 80 =2/ 2/;8/< 80 =2/ (+; 08; /A3-+7 7./9/7./7-/ 1;/@ =8 KDYH JUHDW VLJQL¿FDQFH WR WKH SHRSOH RI /A3-8 +7. <=3;;/. =2/6 =8 -87=37>/ =2/ ¿JKW IRU IUHHGRP 'XULQJ WKH GD\V RI KLV 369;3<876/7= 37 + =8@/; +=2/; 3.+518 ZURWH PHVVDJHV RI WKDQNV RQ WKH ZDOOV RI KLV FHOO WKDQNLQJ KLV FDSWRUV IRU WKHLU NLQGQHVV 7KH PRUQLQJ RI KLV H[HFXWLRQ -XO\ )DWKHU +LGDOJR JDYH KLV 4+35/;< -+7.B =2+= 2/ 2+. 23../7 >7./; 23< 93558@ + ,3==/;<@//= 1/<=>;/ 80 0+;/@/55 =8 -8608;= 23< /A/->=387/;< @28 @/;/ KHDUWEURNHQ RYHU WKH WDVN WKH\ KDG WR 9/;08;6 7KH ZRUG ³8941<7?M 6/+7< 78,5/6+7 )DWKHU +LGDOJR OLYHG XS WR KLV QDPH KH 53?/. +7. .3/. +< + 78,5/6+7 K =2/ +=2/; 80 /A3-+7 7./9/7./7-/
)D5<<1 &?@5 E1BD5 G1C 2?B> 1>4 B19C54 9> )?ED8 &8?5>9H )85 2571> 85B 1G1B4 G9>>9>7 31B55B 9> 16D5B C85 814 1 4B51= 9> G8938 85B 45351C54 61D85B D?<4 85B D81D 85B 45CD9>I G1C D? 253?=5 1 GB9D5B ?>D13D 85B 1D CD5<<1@?@54E1BD5 3?=
¡ !
67