Spanish missions in New Mexico

Part of the Spanish missions in the Americas series
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The Spanish Missions in New Mexico were a series of religious outposts established by Franciscan friars under charter from the governments of Spain and New Spain to convert the local Pueblo, Navajo and Apache Indians to Christianity. The missions also aimed to pacify and Hispanicize the natives. The missions introduced European livestock, fruits, vegetables, and small-scale industry into the Southwest region.

History

Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

Further information: History of New Mexico#Colonial period

Fray Marcos de Niza, sent by Coronado, first saw the area now known as New Mexico in 1539. The first permanent settlement was Mission San Gabriel, founded in 1598 by Juan de Oñate near what is now known as the San Juan Pueblo.^{[citation needed]}

Missions

Quarai Mission church, 1940. Photo: George A. Grant

• Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Zia
• Mission Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Porciúncula de los Pecos founded in 17th century, ruins are part of the Pecos National Historical Park
• Mission Nuestra Señora de Purísima Concepción de Quarai founded in 17th century, ruins are part of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument^[1]
• Mission San Agustín de la Isleta - Built in 1612.^{[citation needed]} See also Isleta Pueblo
• Mission San Buenaventura de Cochiti - Completed in 1628,^{[citation needed]} renovated in the 1960s. See also Cochiti Pueblo
• Mission San Esteban del Rey de Acoma - Established 1629 and completed in 1641, in continuous use since.^[2] See also Acoma Pueblo
• Mission San Felipe - Built on the site of a previous church (1706)^{[citation needed]}
• Mission San Gregorio de Abó - Established in 1640 by Fray Francisco Acevedo. Ruins are now part of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.^[3]
• Mission San Ildefonso - The original mission church was built in 1711, but was later destroyed.^[4]
• Mission San Isidro and Mission San Buenaventura de Humanas (Gran Quivira) - the ruins are part of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument^[5]
• Mission San José de los Jémez - Established in 1621, now in ruins.^[6]
• Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Mexico) - Piro mission, now in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.
• Mission San Lorenzo (Texas) - Established after 1680, now in El Paso, Texas.
• Mission San Antonio de Senecu (Mexico) - built 1682, no remains. Site is at or near present-day Senecu, Mexico.
• Mission Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur (Texas) - built between 1680 and 1682 by Tigua speaking and Spanish refugees of the Pueblo Revolt ^[7]
• Mission Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro, today known as the Mission San Miguel - Established in 1598 by Fray Alfonso Benavidez and another Franciscan friar. San Miguel Mission Chapel is said to be the oldest church still in use in the United States.^[8]
• Mission Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur (Texas), built between 1680 and 1682 by the Piro, Tano and Jemez peoples who accompanied or were forced to accompany the Spaniards fleeing the 1680 Pueblo Revolt.
• Mission San José de Laguna - built in 1699.^[9] See also Laguna Pueblo
• Mission San Lorenzo de Picurís -- established circa 1620.
• Mission Santa Ana - Completed in 1750.^[10]
• Mission Santo Domingo - The original mission church was destroyed by flooding of the Rio Grande.^[11]

Noted churches that were not missions

• El Santuario de Chimayó - Site of an Easter pilgrimage by foot to this holy spot every year. Not a mission; founded c.1810 as a private chapel.^{[improper synthesis?]}
• Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - Founded c. 1777; believed to be nation's oldest shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Not a mission.^{[improper synthesis?][citation needed]}

External links

• The Old Missions of New Mexico, 1998 article, St. Anthony Messenger
• Sunlight and Adobe - Photographing New Mexico's Historic Missions New Mexico Photography Field School
• History, Archdiocese of Santa Fe
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
• Spanish Mission Churches of New Mexico, 1915 book by L. Bradford Prince
• Gran Quivira: A Blending of Cultures in a Pueblo Indian Village, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan

References

1. ^ "Mission Nuestra Señora de Purísima Concepción de Quarai". http://www.newmexico.org/nativeamerica/explore/purisima.php. 
2. ^ Images of Acoma and San Estevan, Acoma, New Mexico
3. ^ "Abo Pueblo and San Gregorio Mission". http://newmexico.darkisle.com/abo/abo.html. 
4. ^ "Books of the Southwest - University of Arizona Library". http://southwest.library.arizona.edu/spmc/body.1_div.23.html. 
5. ^ "Mission San Buenaventura de Humanas". http://www.newmexico.org/nativeamerica/explore/gran_quivera.php. 
6. ^ "Mission San José de los Jémez". http://www.newmexico.org/nativeamerica/explore/jemez_mission.php. 
7. ^ Ysleta Mission - Mission San Antonio de Los Tiquas
8. ^ "San Miguel Catholic Church". http://www.sdc.org/~smiguel/about.htm. 
9. ^ "San José de Laguna". http://www.newmexico.org/nativeamerica/explore/jose_de_laguna.php. 
10. ^ "Mission Santa Ana". newmexico.org. http://www.newmexico.org/nativeamerica/explore/santa_ana_mission.php. 
11. ^ "Mission Santo Domingo". http://www.newmexico.org/nativeamerica/explore/santa_domingo_mission.php.