Rev. Lucian C. Hendren

Father Lucian C. Hendren, born in Belen, NM on February 8, 1935, passed away on August 7, 2015. As an infant, his family moved to Tucumcari – his dad’s ancestral home. He was very active in Tucumcari Public Schools’ extracurricular activities, especially sports. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lucian Hendren and Ramona Armijo Hendren, and siblings, Linda, Arnold, Louis and Philip Hendren. He is survived by his siblings, Rita Hendren Feigl (the late Tom), Vincent L. Hendren, Sr. (Kathy), Wilbert Hendren (Rose Lee), Katherine Hendren Schmucker, and Elizabeth G. Hendren; sister-in-law, Patricia Hendren, and numerous nieces and nephews. After his junior year, he entered Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Santa Fe to begin studies for the priesthood. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Mt. Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, OR. He continued his theological studies at St. John’s Home Missions Seminary in Little Rock, AR. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1963, by Archbishop Edwin V. Byrne at St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Santa Fe, for service in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. He was assigned as Secretary to the Archbishop and Chaplain to the Sisters at Loretto Chapel, and taught at IHM Seminary. In 1964, he was assigned to The Catholic University of America to study Canon Law, where he obtained his JCL, and was appointed Vice Chancellor and Asst. Judicial Vicar and Chaplain to the Christian Brothers, St. Michael High School. He served as Chancellor and as Judicial Vicar, while also serving as Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima in Albuquerque. He served as comptroller for the Archdiocese while in residence at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Albuquerque. He served as President of the South Central Regional Canon Law Society of America and later served on the Board of Governors of the National Canon Law Society of America. In 1976, he was appointed National Coordinator for the Hispanic participation in the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia. In 1977, he was elected National Secretary of P.A.D.R.E.S., an organization of Spanish-speaking priests. He was later appointed to the Board of Trustees for the University of Albuquerque and served on the board from 1981 to 1987. As Chancellor in 1971, he initiated the Tax Sheltered Annuity Program. As Comptroller in 1978, he instituted the first uniform computerized accounting system for the Archdiocese offices. In 1979, he was appointed by Archbishop Robert Sanchez to analyze information for the formal canonical petition to the Holy See for the creation and establishment of the Diocese of Las Cruces in South Central NM. Father Hendren was also the sitting chairman who oversaw the transformation of the University of Albuquerque Campus into the St. Pius X High School campus from the Louisiana site, and the eventual moving of the Archdiocese offices to the Morningside Drive site. He served on the Archdiocesan Finance Committee and was Archdiocesan Consultor for several years. Father later served as Pastor of San Ysidro Parish in Corrales from 1984 to 1997, when he retired for health reasons. He was an avid golfer. He enjoyed study and research – especially Sacred Scripture and Southwest History. In his retired years, he researched the Hendren Armijo genealogical family tree going back to Ireland and Spain respectively. He worked with the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico, extracting and transcribing material for their publications and writing articles for their professional journal, Herencia. A Viewing will be held Wednesday, August 12, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at FRENCH - Westside. Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, August 13, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the Gate of Heaven Mausoleum, 7999 Wyoming Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Terrence D. Regan, Dr. Daniel B. Friedman and Dr. Robert E. Federici. In lieu of flowers, Father Hendren and the family request that memorial donations be made to Monastery of Christ in the Desert, Inc., PO Box 270, Abiquiu, NM 87510-0270, or to Our Lady of Guadalupe Franciscan Province, 3735 San Ygnacio Road, SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121. FRENCH - Westside 9300 Golf Course Rd NW 505-897-0300

Rev. Lucian C. Hendren

February 8, 1935 - August 7, 2015