In this last section of the book, the reader is given a perspective of the Archbishop's life. The fruits of the Bishop's labor are symbolized by the apricots, the garden, and the wildflowers. He has reclaimed a diocese, built a cathedral, taught new priests, and found a surrogate son in Bernard. He has quietly nurtured and cultivated the Catholic faith in his diocese. He has seen the buffalo replaced by the railroad, the emancipation of slaves, and the Navajos restored to their land. He has seen ignorance and suspicion in the Mexicans give way to real faith. From an unreclaimed country, New Mexico has become a fountain of the Catholic faith.
It is important to Latour that the cathedral fits into the landscape, hearkening back to his admiration for Eusabio's ability to minimize his presence on the landscape. His last thoughts are of the decision to come to the New World, completing the story of his life.
