Willa Cather's Death Comes For The Archbishop

In Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather does not portray Bishop Latour and father Vaillant as hero, saints, or martyrs, but as two priests who do not live glorious lives and yet leave behind a glorious legacy through their missionary work and spreading of Catholicism in the Southwest. Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant did not live and die in vain, but rather created a legacy. At the end of the priests’ lives, they look back on their journey of life and feel a sense of happiness even in death because they did everything they wanted to do in life and they made their lives a work of art. In the eyes of the people they helped, they are heroes and they exemplify how everyone can be a hero. Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant are brave,

they fight against evil, and they fight for the helpless.
When traveling to the Southwest, the French priests had no idea what to expect but they knew they were doing God’s work so they put their faith in God.

Wherever they went, Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant were in danger but they did not fear. A great example of this is when they were in the puebla and Magdalena warns the priests that her husband plan to kill them and that they must leave before Buckskin kills them. Instead of fearing for their lives and running away, the two priests helped Magdalena escape her abusive relationship and did so without worry of what could happen to them if they helped her. Another example of their bravery is when they are stranded and are about to die of dehydration. Bishop Latour kneels in front of a crucified tree and prays that God will help him. To reward Bishop Latour’s bravery as well as his faith in God, Bishop Latour was led by animals to water as well as a

town.
Throughout the entirety of the novel, Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant are constantly fighting off evil and fighting for the establishment of the Catholic Church in the American Southwest. An example of how steadfast they are in the face of adversity, is that they never give up trying to convert the Paquos Indians regardless of their faults. Bishop Latour sees that the Indians have faith, but they do not have reason, whereas the two pillars of the church are faith and reason. In the face of atrocities such as child sacrifice, Bishop Latour refuses to give up on the Indians because he cares about every “lost sheep”.
Another example of how the French priests had to fight against evil is through Bishop Latour ridding the American Southwest of corrupted priests who would take advantage of the Paquos Indians. Padre Gallegos was spending ungodly amounts of money on unnecessary possessions and Father Balthazar enslaved the indians and was acting as though he were the King. A priest is supposed to live their life devoted to the church as they are the earthly representation of Christ on Earth but for too long, the priests in the Southwest were not representing the Church, but rather their own selfish desires.
The final example of how Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant uplifted the lives of the Indians of the American Southwest and created their legacy is how they always fight for the helpless.

An example of this is when Bishop Latour removes Father Bathazar from his seat of power to protect the Indians who had lived under his tyranny and were treated like his slaves. Another example of Bishop Latour’s and Father Vaillant’s bravery in fighting for the helpless is through their investigation and halting of human sacrifice. The Paquos Indians are ignorant and turn to superstition rather than reason which leads to the sacrifice of human beings in order to appease their gods. Bishop Latour introduce the idea of a loving God who became man so human beings can live an abundant

life.
When Willa Cather wrote “Death Comes for the Archbishop”, she did not portray Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant as heroes, saints, or martyrs, but rather as two priests spreading the word of God throughout the American Southwest. These characters show that one does not need to be rich, beautiful, or powerful to live a fulfilling life and to leave a legacy. Sometimes one person can redeem the world and in this case, it was two men who redeemed the American Southwest.
When Bishop Latour’s days were numbered he said “I shall die from having lived”. This means he is dying because he has accomplished all of his work and lived abundantly leaving nothing unfinished; and in doing so had a “happy death” because he has no regrets, is thankful for his life, is leaving a legacy, and most importantly, Bishop Latour has done the work of God and is reconciled with God. Bishop Latour’s legacy is one of bringing good out of evil and has made a profound impact on everyone who has entered his life. Bishop Latour is the perfect example of how life should be lived; life is not just surviving, it is a great adventure.