Fr. José Alberto Hernandez’s devoted love & service to Valencia County & all New Mexico

The residents of Tomé have been blessed with many devout, hard-working priests in the long history of their Immaculate Conception Church.

Fr. Jean Baptiste Ralliere served in Tomé for so long (1858-1911) that he was known as the “Priest Eternal.” A French priest, he shared his vast knowledge of church music, education and agriculture.

Fr. Robert Edward Auman, who served from 1965 to 1976, built or rebuilt so many buildings on church property that he was known as the “Concrete Priest.”

Fr. José Alberto Hernandez has joined this illustrious list of Catholic priests, contributing many exceptional achievements of his own. He has served in Valencia County for 28 years, with an additional 30 years of service throughout the rest of New Mexico for a total of 58 years.

Thousands of New Mexicans know and admire Tomé’s long-time priest. He is recognized and warmly received nearly everywhere he goes, from check-out counters at grocery stores to blood test labs in local clinics.

But there are many residents of the Rio Abajo who have yet to meet this remarkable man, no less know of his background and accomplishments. It is time to introduce them to Fr. José Alberto Hernandez, better known as Fr. José.

Early life

José Alberto Hernandez was born on Feb. 9, 1936, in the small village of Cidra, near San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was the second of four children born to Bonifacio and Josefa Hernandez.

A builder as well as a farmer, Bonifacio built a strong concrete house that helped his family survive many destructive hurricanes in the Caribbean.

The Hernandez family struggled economically. Like most of the children in his community, José went to Mass barefoot and even received his First Holy Communion without shoes.

José was 12 years old when a Jesuit priest visited his parish and, upon meeting the boy, urged him to study for the priesthood. José had little interest in becoming a priest, but bowed to the priest’s wishes with the encouragement of his religious parents.

José studied to become a priest for 10 years. Starting in the eighth grade, he attended a minor seminary in Puerto Rico, followed by his attendance at a major seminary in the Dominican Republic.

José completed his religious education in Granada, Spain, where he studied theology and philosophy with the Jesuits for four years. In a rigorous academic program, students and teachers spoke only Latin in their classrooms and read only Latin in their texts and on their tests. Sadly, José was never able to visit his family in Puerto Rico during his studies in Spain.

José’s fondest memory of his years in Europe is of visiting Lourdes during the 100th anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s miraculous appearance there in 1858. He was also honored to sing in a choir that performed for Pope Pius XII in Rome.

Having completed his education, José finally returned to Puerto Rico to be ordained by Archbishop James Peter Davis at the cathedral in San Juan on June 16, 1960. Fr. Hernandez’s first assignments were to small parishes on the island and to larger ones in the Bronx in New York City.

“Temporary” assignment to New Mexico

Meanwhile, Archbishop Davis had been transferred to New Mexico, becoming the Santa Fe diocese’s ninth archbishop. Archbishop Davis faced several challenges in his new position. A shortage of priests was foremost on his list of pressing problems.

Learning of this dire need, Fr. Hernandez volunteered to be of temporary service to Archbishop Davis in New Mexico. Davis gladly accepted the offer.

Fr. Hernandez arrived for his temporary duty in 1966. It took some time for him to adjust to New Mexico and its culture. Among other things, New Mexicans spoke Spanish differently and preferred red and green chile to Puerto Rico’s favorite ajíes and achiote flavorings.

Father adjusted well, starting with his first assignment in Bernalillo. He served at Bernalillo’s Our Lady of Sorrows Church before moving on to parishes in Albuquerque, Arroyo Seco, Peralta, Socorro, back to Albuquerque and finally Tomé.

Fr. Hernandez’s assignments lasted as little as three years in Bernalillo and five years at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Peralta to as long as 10 years at San Miguel in Socorro and at St. Edwin in Albuquerque before his final 20 years in Tomé.

Respected in Tomé

Fr. José arrived at Tomé’s Immaculate Conception Church in 2001. As at every church he had served in, he soon became very close to his parishioners. In the true sense of the title, “Father,” Fr. José accepted all his parishioners as part of his family and was always there to serve them and provide spiritual guidance.

Fr. José won the love of his parishioners because he respected their local culture and how important it was to them in their lives. Although the Spanish he had learned as a boy in Puerto Rico was slightly different than the Spanish spoken in Tomé, people appreciated his ability to speak it fluently. Many sought him out to discuss their issues in their familiar native language.

Fr. José also showed his respect for Tomé’s culture by continuing the Tomé Fiestas and Christmas Posadas, joining parishioners and the public in their climbing Tomé Hill on Good Fridays, planting trees on Tomé Plaza and installing a sidewalk in front of a grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Fr. José respected Tomé Penitentes, having become familiar with this religious group’s beliefs and practice at two moradas (Penitente chapels) in Arroyo Seco and one in Peralta earlier in his career.

The friendly priest

Parishioners have admired Fr. José’s friendliness and fine sense of humor. He claims that as a Puerto Rican, he is one of the happiest people in the world. He often tells jokes at the beginning or end of Mass. He also makes spontaneously funny comments like, “I am dee-vine and you are dee-branches.”

Fr. José sees humor in almost every situation, as when a couple came into the Tomé parish office and asked, “Will you marry us?” “No,” Fr. José replied, “I am a priest and cannot marry.”

He is also amused when he sees viejitos (elderly men and women) walk so slowly to communion each Sunday but dance up a storm at the fiestas!

Fr. José even jokes about being a handsome man. Although he is unpretentious, Fr. José appreciates it when people compliment him on a new shirt he might be wearing, pointing out that “it’s the hanger not the shirt” that is most appealing. The 88-year-old priest recently received a birthday card addressed to “El Guapo” (the handsome one).

Fr. José enjoys all kinds of music. He sings parts of the Mass and harmonizes well, especially as a member of his church choir. He jokes that he sings like fellow puertorriqueño Ricky Martin of “La Vida Loca” fame.

Fr. José knows his parishioners and their problems well. Take a ride with him on N.M. 47 or in the South Valley of Albuquerque, and he can tell you about each family and where they live. He often visited the elderly, the housebound, the ill and the troubled.

In one instance, Fr. José counseled a parishioner who was almost run over by a thief. Fr. José’s deep compassion helped the parishioner recover from the traumatic event.

Fr. José is swarmed by parishioners after Mass, and there is always a line of admirers eager to speak to him wherever he goes. He is good with the children, especially when he laughs with them and makes Bible stories interesting and fun.

Fr. José is grateful for all the invitations he received to visit families and have dinner. He even thanked these kind parishioners from the altar, although he asked the gracious families to “Please stop serving meatloaf,” his least favorite meal.

Always inclusive, Fr. José helped sponsor a prison ministry that allowed about 30 inmates to participate in a retreat at the church for two weekends each year. Parish members supported the program, offering meals, supplies and their parish hall for shelter. Fr. José held Mass daily and heard confessions for hours.

He always told the program’s participants, “When you come out, visit me.” They often did.

(Part two of Father José’s story will appear in next week’s La Historia del Rio Abajo.)

(La Historia del Rio Abajo is a regular column about Valencia County history written by members of the Valencia County Historical Society since 1998.

The author appreciates the assistance offered by many parishioners at the Immaculate Conception Church who gladly shared their memories of Fr. José and the impact he has had on their lives and their community.

Opinions expressed in this and all editions of La Historia del Rio Abajo are the author’s alone and not necessarily those of the Valencia County Historical Society or any other group or individual.)