Father Luis Jayme O.F. M.
Melchor Jayme was born in the farming village of San Juan, Majorca on October 18, 1740. When he was 15, he enrolled in the St. Bernadine School where Father Serra had studied as a youth. He became a Franciscan five years later. Father Jayme was ordained to the priesthood and taught philosophy for five years at the Convento de Francisco, which was the motherhouse for all the Franciscans in Majorca.
Like Fr. Serra, Fr. Jayme dreamed of becoming a missionary in the New World. In 1770, he arrived in New Spain after a long and difficult journey. He attended a special training course that taught survival on the frontier and conditioned them for living a life of hardship and deprivation. In October of 1770, Fr. Jayme set out for Alta California to begin his ten-year commitment to the California Missions. He assumed his post as pastor of the Mission San Diego de Alcalá and eagerly looked forward to working with the Native Americans.
The priests and neophytes on Presidio Hill (the first location of Mission San Diego) tried to establish a successful mission at that site, but in 1774, Fr. Jayme recommended that the Mission site be moved inland. The crops were failing, the water was scarce and hard to get, and the soldiers were a bad influence of the Native Americans. Fr. Serra approved the move. The padres and neophytes moved to the present site in August of 1774 and built temporary huts out of wood, tule, manure, and thatch. Eleven adobe structures were built during the first year. Crops were planted, Native Americans from the Nipaguay village were being baptized and everything was going well – until November 5, 1775. In the early morning hours of that day, Fr. Jayme was awakened from his sleep and heard a commotion outside his quarters. Indians were raiding the mission. Approximately 800 Native Americans from the Yuma area, together with several neophytes, looted the church. An open fire erupted, the Kumeyaay went into defensive mode and shot flaming arrows into the buildings, burning the huts down. Instead of running or hiding, Fr. Jayme went out to greet them and with his arms outstretched he said, “Love God, my children”. He was subsequently dragged down to the river and murdered. Because of Fr. Jayme’s self-sacrifice, dedication, faith, and love, he became California’s first Christian martyr. The large white cross out front of the Mission on the east side is dedicated to his memory and is located near the spot where he was martyred. His remains are buried in the sanctuary of the church. Surviving residents of the mission went to the Presidio to live until things settled down and it was safe to return to the Mission.
Written by Msgr. I.B. Eagen, former Pastor of Mission San Diego