Roman Catholic Bishop. A native of Juigalpa, José Antonio de la Huerta Caso was appointed member of the capitular chapter of León in 1769, later becoming its dean and ultimately archdeacon. Trice vicar capitular and governor of the diocese, on May 27, 1798, he was consecrated bishop of the then diocese of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, receiving his episcopal consecration from Msgr. Juan Félix de Villegas, archbishop of Guatemala. A deeply learned and cultured man, during his tenure a house of studies was opened in Cartago, through which theology was first taught in Costa Rica, followed by two other schools in 1803. He also oversaw the teaching of the local Indios, while establishing out of his pocket the faculties of Sacred Scripture, liturgy, Church history, medicine and surgery within the University of Nicaragua, backing also the establishment of the faculty of law. His tragic and unusual death in his residence on May 25, 1803, brought his end in less than five years of episcopate at the age of fifty six. Noticing the disappearance of alimentary stuff from the grocery cupboard for a number of days, the Bishop decided to catch the author of these thefts in person. On the mentioned morning, upon seeing that his breakfast prepared in the pantry had gone missing, arming himself with a thick stick, he sought the residence to find the culprit, realising it was an enormous cat. Locking himself with the latter in a room, the attack was so violent that the prelate broke his neck. When the room's door was broke open, they were found both dead, Huerta lying on the floor and the cat in a corner.
Roman Catholic Bishop. A native of Juigalpa, José Antonio de la Huerta Caso was appointed member of the capitular chapter of León in 1769, later becoming its dean and ultimately archdeacon. Trice vicar capitular and governor of the diocese, on May 27, 1798, he was consecrated bishop of the then diocese of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, receiving his episcopal consecration from Msgr. Juan Félix de Villegas, archbishop of Guatemala. A deeply learned and cultured man, during his tenure a house of studies was opened in Cartago, through which theology was first taught in Costa Rica, followed by two other schools in 1803. He also oversaw the teaching of the local Indios, while establishing out of his pocket the faculties of Sacred Scripture, liturgy, Church history, medicine and surgery within the University of Nicaragua, backing also the establishment of the faculty of law. His tragic and unusual death in his residence on May 25, 1803, brought his end in less than five years of episcopate at the age of fifty six. Noticing the disappearance of alimentary stuff from the grocery cupboard for a number of days, the Bishop decided to catch the author of these thefts in person. On the mentioned morning, upon seeing that his breakfast prepared in the pantry had gone missing, arming himself with a thick stick, he sought the residence to find the culprit, realising it was an enormous cat. Locking himself with the latter in a room, the attack was so violent that the prelate broke his neck. When the room's door was broke open, they were found both dead, Huerta lying on the floor and the cat in a corner.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
Advertisement
Advertisement
