AUTO DE FUNDACIÓN DE LA MISIÓN DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE GUADALUPE

Escrito por fuentes citadas.

Trascripción hecha por José Mario Sánchez SoledadAsociación de Historiadores de Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua.

En el nombre de la Santísima e Individual Trinidad, Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, tres personasdistintas y un sólo Dios verdadero; para su mayor gloria, honra y reverencia, y confusión delenemigo infernal. Y para servicio de la santísima Virgen María, señora nuestra y patronainmaculada; y mayor exaltación de nuestra santa fe católica. En ocho días del mes de diciembredel año de mil y seiscientos y cincuenta y nueve: Yo Fray García de San Francisco, de la orden delos frailes menores de la regular observancia de nuestro seráfico padre San Francisco, predicador,definidor actual de la Santa Custodia de la Conversión de San Pablo del Nuevo México, ministroy guardián del convento de San Antonio del Pueblo de Senecú; por cuanto:

Por haber ido a dicha Custodia los capitanes y ancianos de la gentilidad de los indios mansos yzumanas a suplicarme les bajase a predicar el santo evangelio de nuestro señor Jesucristo, y acabéde quietarles y bautizarles; y habiendo dado parte a nuestro reverendo padre Fray Juan González,Custodio de dicha Custodia, y al señor Don Juan Manso, Gobernador y Capitán General por suMajestad; y haber tenido las patentes de mis superiores en que me ordena baje a la predicación yconversión de esta gentilidad, y permiso de dicho señor Don Juan Manso, Gobernador; y haberbajado no con pocos trabajos, al paso del Río del Norte, de la banda de Nueva España que es elmedio de la Custodia y Provincia del Nuevo México; y en dicho sitio haber congregado la más delas rancherías de los gentiles mansos y haberles propuesto la palabra evangélica, y admitídolaellos para su catecismo, y permitido edificar una pequeña iglesia de palos y lodo y un conventopajizo, ayudando dichos gentiles y admitiéndome por su predicador y Ministro;

Con estas acciones, por todo lo referido y en virtud de la patente de Comisario Apostólico que demis superiores tengo, por los indúltos que la silla apostólica tiene exhibidos para nuevasconversiones a nuestra sagrada religión; levantando esta Santa Cruz que coloco, y edificando estaiglesia en que ya he celebrado el misterio sacrosanto de nuestra redención; tomo la posesión deesta conversión de mansos y zumanas, y de todas las demás gentilidades circunvecinas que seagregaren o me llamaren a mi u otro cualquier evangélico predicador; en nombre de toda nuestrasagrada religión e inmediatamente de la Custodia de la Conversión de San Pablo del NuevoMéxico. Y nombro y dedico esta santa iglesia y conversión a la santísima Virgen de Guadalupecon sobrenombre del Paso, colocando su santa imagen; para lo cual y quitarle al demonio su tiranaposesión, hago testigos a los cielos y a la tierra, y a todos los santos ángeles que en guarda esténpresentes; y especialmente a todos los gentiles que son de esta conversión, y a BernardinoGualtoye, a Antonio Guilixigue, a Antonio Elogua, a Juan Azoloye, Francisco Tzitza, y FelipeQuele, cristianos del pueblo de Senecú, compañeros y cristicolas que bajaron conmigo.

Y desde luego, por la autoridad de mi oficio, nombro a esta conversión por comisaría y cabecerade todas las del Río del Norte abajo y circunvecinas, sujeta inmediatamente a la Santa Custodiade la Conversión de San Pablo; y para que así conste en los tiempos venideros, de esta posesión,dedicación y nombramiento: Hago ésta para que sea guardada en el archivo de dicha santaCustodia, que es hecha en el Río del Norte, en el paso de Nueva España, Nuevo México, en ochodías de diciembre de mil seiscientos cincuenta y nueve años.

Fray García de San FranciscoComisario Apostólico de mansos y zumanas

Yo, fray Antonio Tabares, notario nombrado por el Padre Fray García de San Francisco. Comisarioapostólico de estas conversiones, doy fe de haber trasladado ut supra dicho escrito del que se

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guarda en el archivo de la Custodia. Hecha nueve de abril del año 1663. Y por verdad firmé.

Fray Antonio TabaresNotario Apostólico nombrado

Fuente: Wikipedia. *Este documento fue transcrito por José Mario Sánchez Soledad, Asociación de Historiadores deCiudad Juárez Chihuahua. Pintura: The Plaza and Church of El Paso," painted by artist A. de Vauducourt during the 1850s.Creative Commons.

*El texto anterior, adecuado para la lectura del documento, se basa en el contenido mecanoescrito por Adolph F. Bandelier de lacopia hecha de su puño y letra, que transcribiera del libro primero de casamientos de la Misión de Guadalupe (Fojas 74 y 75) que leprestara el padre Ramón Ortiz en Paso del Norte, Abril 4 de 1888. El ológrafo se encuentra en la Biblioteca Tozzer del MuseoPeabody de la Universidad de Harvard, la copia mecanoescrita está dentro de la Colección Catron de la biblioteca General de laUniversidad de Nuevo México en Albuquerque.

Agregar a Favoritos Ligas de Interes Mapa del Sitio Miembro Honorable Fuentes/Creditos Contacto/Buzon de Sugerencia

No.3

BYANNE E. ~UGHES

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS

IN HISTORY

VOL. I

THE BEGINNINGS OF SPANISH-::::

. ~. SETTLEMF~NT IN THE EL PASO DISTRIC1'

A REPRINT FROM THE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

APRIL 1914.... ,

.. ' ,,',)~.,.J

3 It is rurthar described as "Num 27 . de los Papeles de] Supor . Govno •Ano de 161:\1 . SI:,gllndo quaderno de Numo . 6. Pa . remittr a leon • 8rio .Don Pedro Velasqul's de ia Cadena . Expediente no. 6 . N. rofas 123.

4 It is further described as "Varios Hechos de los Indios de Nuevo Mejico. Numo 20 Ano de 1682 Expediente No.2' y fojas 120. Srio. D. Pedro Velasques dl' la Cadena."

5 It is further described as "Num .28 de los Papeles del SUPOI' Govno.367. Ano de 16R5. Numo. 4 Y Ia mudanza del Pussto dpl paso del Rio-de] norteal dp Ia Ys]eta a Ynstanzias y padimtos, de los Vpzos y 1'e. Proeur Fl'. NicolasLopez y de la Gente y demas Socorros q pide pa este efecto Expediente no 4No. fojas 167 Srio. D P. de Ia Cadena."

6 It is further described as "Copiado Del Original que existe en el oficiomas antiguo del Virreynato de Nueva-Espana, en los Autos sobre Ia sublevaci6n del Nnevo-Maxtco. Quadf\l'no. 1°."

303Hughes: Spanish Settlement in the El Paso District

II. EARLY MISSIONS AND SETTLERS IN THE EL PASO.

DISTRICT, 1659-1680

~.IfAtternptedMissionary Work before 1659~LThough theadvance of settlement toward the EI Paso district, as sketched above, was northward from Durango, the actual establishment of missions and the beginnings of settlement inthat region were the result of a counter movement southward from the Spanish colony in the interior of New Mexico. The two waves of colonizing activity 'were destined toclash along the banks of the Rio del Norte, and to createjealous rivalries between the provinces of New Mexico andNueva Vizcaya.

Although the conversion of the Ma~sos,1 the wild, nonagricultural tribe of Indians dwelling at El Paso, was delayed until the middle of the seventeenth century, missionarywork among those Indians had probably been in progress ina desultory way since the first religious entered New Mexico by way. of El Paso. According to Benavides, the Mansesfirst displayed interest in resident missionaries the last

I time he passed their raneheria, about the year 1630 atwhich time he preached to them, and placed in their raneheria a cross, .telling them its meaning. The natives seemedmuch interested, repaired to the cross to pray and to behealed, and asked the friar for. religious to teach and baptize them. Recognizing the advantages to be derived from amission establishment at that point-by way of making safethe highway to New Mexico, converting and reducing tosettlement the neighboring IndianS;and developing richmining camps and splendid. ranch sites along. the highway-Benavides suggested that four religious with a guard of

~,:"

(VOL. 1University oi Calijornia Publications in His~ory302

general; decrees of the viceroys; and letters written by the governors; religdous, military captains, and other persons of official rank or inprivate life. The four expedientes are called respectively: (1) "Auttostoeantes, al Alsamiento de Los Yndios de la Provincia de la NuebaMexico";3 (2) Autos pertenecientes al alcamiento de los Yndios-·'de

~:-iaProua del nuebo Mexico y la entrada, y subeesos de ella que se hicopara su recuperacion'tj- (3) "Autos sobre los Socorros q pide el Govr.de la na, Mexico, y otras nottas tocantes a la Sublevazion de los Yndios Barbaros de aquel1a previa"; e (4) a collection without a title, butreferred to as "Expediente no. 2, fojas 47."

These four collections were supplemented by a compilation of documents--also from the Mexican archives-selected mainly from Autossobre los Socorros, but containing some documents not found in thatcollection; the compilation, which was made by Father Talamantes,is called "Viaje que a solcitud de los Naturales de la Provincia deTexas, y otras naciones circumvecinos, y de orden del Governador delNuevo-Mexico D. Domingo Gironza Petris de Cruzate hizo el Maestrede Campo Juan Dominguez de Mendoza, en fines del afio de 1683 yprineipios de 1684."6 The foregoing documents are contained in Dr.Bolton's collection.

The above-described materials have been supplemented by a fewsingle documents and number of secondary 'sources, mainly old chronicles, belonging to the Bancroft Collection of the University of California; some notes from the old church records at Juarez, made by Dr.Bolton and Mr. J. W. Curd or El Paso; copies of several documents inthe Bandelier Collection at the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, furnished by courtesy of the curator, Frederick W. Putman; and

.copies of several documents from the Santa Fe archives now in theLibrary of Congress. The titles of these documents' appear in the footnotes.

y

I 1 For the ori~in of thp. name of this trihp and its charncterlsttes seeOfia~e, Diario, in Pacheco and Cardenas, Col. Doc. VXI. p. 243; Benavides: Memortal, in Land of Sunshine, Vol. XIII, p. 281; and Vet an curt. lUenologio Franelseano de los Varones mas Senalados (Mex. 1871), pp, 24; 429.

.',it,

305Hughes: Spanish Settlement in the EZ Paso District11n4)

pacified the tumult and took the missionaries back to NewMexico,"

2. The Establishment of Mission Nueetra Senora de Guadalupe, 1659.-Though the efforts of Cabal and Perez werefutile, the conversion of the Mansos soon followed, in 1659.In this year Father Garcia de San Francisco y Zuniga againvisited El Paso, and, with the assistance of Father Francisco de Salazar," laid the foundation of the mission of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.

Since the work of Garcia may be regarded as the cornerstone of the El Paso establishments, a short sketch of hislife will not be amiss at this point. He came to New Mexicoin 1629 in company with Fray Antonio de Arteaga, and inthe train of Fray Estevan de Perea, the newly elected custodian of the conversion of San Pablo. At that time Ga~ciawas it lay brother, but his superiors, feeling that his influence for good would be increased by his taking orders,commanded him under the oath of obedience to receive them.Though he had formerly, through humility, refused to enterthe holy state, he now became a priest. In 1630 he was givencharge of the conversion of Senecii by Father Arteaga, whohad founded it. Father Garcia adorned the church with anorgan and rich ornaments, and cultivated grapes, of whichhe made wine for himself and for the other monasteries. Hebecame the founder of the mission of Nuestra Senora delSocorro, whence he went to EI Paso to found Nuestra Sefio-

. ra de Guadalupe."

The account of the founding of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, comes from Father Garcia's own pen, in the form ofan entry in the administration books of the mission. A certified copy made in 1663 still exists in the archives of theChurch of Guadalupe at Juarez. The importance of thisdocument justifies its reproduction here in translation.

; 4 Vetancurt, 1\fenologio, pp, 24-25; Petition of the citizens of Npw Mexicoto the viceroy, August 26, 1685, Auto~ sobre 108 80COl'r08, folio 126.

5 Eetition of the citizens of New Mexico to the viceroy, August 26, 1685,Allt05 sobre lOA Aoco1'l.'ol'l. folio :126. '

6 Vetancurt, Menologlo, p. 24: Vetancurt, Cb1'6nlca. de Ia Provincia. del~e&to Evan~elio de l\1exleo (1697) I p. 98; M~dina, Chr6nica (Mexico, 1682), p.

(VOL. 1University oi Calijornia Publications in History

14 'Rpna'l7ides, Opt cit•• p, ~1-2.

2 Mp.dina, <Jbr6nica de la Santa Provincia de San Diego de Mexico (1682)"p, 1M.

3 B2I:nclt>tt, Arizona and .New J\Texico, p. 1I\!'\.

fiftee~ or twenty soldiers would be sufficient for an establishment at EI Paso. It was perhaps at this suggestion thatmissionaries were eventually sent there from New Mexico.lll

The earliest account of such missionary work available tothe present writer is given by Medina, in his li~e of FrayAntonio de Arteaga, provincial of the Holy Province of theBarefoot Friars of San Diego and, at one time, a missionaryto the Pueblo Indians. Encouraged by his success in converting the Pueblo Indians, Arteaga undertook to bring theMansos into the fold of the church, and with so much successthat the neighboring Indians, encouraged by the exampleof the Mansos also sought instruction and were baptized bythe missionary." Though the dat'e of Arteaga's visit to theManaos is not given, it was subsequent to 1629, the time ofthe arrival of Fray Estevan' de Perea, the new custodian ofthe conversion of San Pablo, in whose company Arteagaentered New Mexico.

During the administration of Governor 'Bernardo Lopezde .Mendizabal, who held office in New Mexico not earlierthan 1656 nor later than 1661,8 another effort was made tocatechise the Mansos. This time Fray Garcia de San Francisco y Zuniga, in company with Fathers Juan Cabal andFrancisco Perez, all of New Mexico, went to El Paso toinstruct the Manses, taking with him alms which ~e hadcollected from the, citizens of New Mexico. Accordmg toVetancurt he founded the pueblo of the Mansos and leftPerez and Cabal to catechise the Indians. Seeing the repugnance of the religious to remainin~-for the Ma~1sosseem to have been intractable--Garcla told the prieststhat there was no occasion for becoming weary, as the timefor the Indians' conversion had not yet arrived. After G~rcia's departure the natives set upon their teachers and triedto kill them. News of the disturbance reaching GovernorMendizabal, he sent from Santa Fe a rescue party underMaestre de Campo 'I'home Dominguez de Mendoza, who

304

• .. '1: t

In the name of the most holy and indivisible Trinity, Father. Son,and Holy Ghost, three distinct persons and one only true God; for Hisgreater glory, honor, and reverence; for the confusion of the infernalenemy; for the service of the most holy Virgin Mary, Our Lady andimmaculate Patron; and for the greater exaltation of our HolyCatholic faith; on the eight day of the month of December, of the year1659, I, Fray Jarcia de San Francisco of the order of the minor friarsof the regular observance of our Seraphic Father San Francisco,preacher, actual definitor of the holy custody 'of the conversion ofSan Pablo of New Mexico, minister and guardian of the convent ofSan Antonio del Pueblo de Senecti: whereas the captains and old menof the heathendom 'Of the Manses and Zumanas Indians went to thesaid custody to supplicate me to descend to preach them the HolyEvangel of Our Lord Jesus Christ and succeed in quieting them andbaptizing' them; and our Reverend Father Fray Juan Gonsales, custodian of said custody, having given a patent to Senor Don Juan, Mansogovernor and captain-general for his majesty; and having receivedthe patents from my superior, in which he orders me to descend forthe instruction and conversion of this heathendom, and license fromthe said Senor Don Juan, Manso governor; and having descended, withno little labor, to EI Passo del Rio del Norte, on the border of NewSpain, and in the middle of the custody and province of New Mexico;and having congregated most of th~ raneherias of the Manso heathenon said site; and having offered them the evangelical word, and theyhaving accepted it for -their catechism, and permitted me to build alittle church of branches and mud and a monastery thatched withstraw-said heathen aiding and receiving me for their preacher andminister; by these aets, as aforesaid, and by virtue of the patent ofapostolic commissary, which I have from my superiors, through theprivileges which the apostolic chair has displayed for new conversionsto our sacred religion, raising this holy cross, which I planted, andbuilding this church, in which already I have celebrated the sacredmystery of our redemption, I took possession of this conversion ofthe Mansos and Sumanas, and of all the other surrounding heathenwhich might be assembled or might be called to our or to whateverevangelical preacher, in name of an our sacred religion, and immediately of the custody of the conversion of San Pablo of New Mexico;and I named and dedicated this holy church and conversion to themost holy Virgin of Guadalupe with the above name of EI Passe,placing (as I do place) her holy image, for the which and to redeeemit from the demon's tyrannical possession, I call to witness heaven, theearth, and all the holy angels who are present as guard, and especiallyall the heathen who are of this conversion, and Bernardino Gualtoye,Antonio Guilixigue, Antonio Elogua, Juan Azoloye, Francisco Tzitza,and Felipe Quele, Christians of the Pueblo of Seneca, companionsand followers who descended with me.

And as soon as I named this conversion, by the authority of my of-

7 Auto de FUlldaci6n de la 1\lisi6n de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe deINos 1\tlansos <leI Paso del Norte. in Libro Primero de Casamientos EI Paso del

or e. fo.las 74-7fi. A.D. 16fifl, Randplier Cotlectton. •j:l Vetancurt, l\fenolo~io. pp. 24-2fi.

. 9 Certificate of the dadieatton of th> eornerstone of the church of Nuestr~g]~gr~"d~'2GduadAIl]buPlleddp]l Pfiaso dpl Norte, in Libro Primero deCasamiento:

o, ere a 0 de 1662." Bandelier Collection. '

I]

~[\

306 University of California Publications in History (VOL. 1

2

1914) Hughes: Spanish Settlement in the El Paso District 307

1

10 Auto of Otermin, Auttos tocantes, folio 77; Doc. Hist. Nuevo Jilex. p. 746.(MS in Rancroft Collectfon).

11 F"ther JUlln de 'I'alubnn W'lS one of tIl<? martyrs of the Pueblo revolt.Hi~ h""v wo s f'ounrl in th" nllehh of f'\'~ntll T)"1'lh11~:~ ',,- t'·" ,.(>tr(>°t'n~ ~nll:'im-ds. Ree Anttos toeantes, folios 9-10. 17; Hackett, 'I'h» Pueblo R"volt. L~.

12 Vetnncnrt. Chr6nica (Mexico. Hl!l7). Part T. cap. V. sec...'27, p. ilR13 Petition of the citlzens of New Mexico, August 26. 1681), .Autos sobre

los Aoco1'1'os. folio 12ft14 Bancroft, Arizona and New l\f..x ico, p. 1110.

309Hughes: Spanish Settlement in the El Paso District1914)

15 Petition of the citizens of New Mexico, August 26, 1685, Auto" sobJ'·"108 AocoJ'l'oS, folio 126.

16 Information furnished by Posadas. October 8, 1685, Autos Bobre 108Socorros, folios 154---157.

17 In the second folio of Libro en que se acientan 108 eaaamtentos destaConbercion de los J\fansos, the following entry occurs: "On Fp.bruary 3, 1662,I, Fray Garcia de San Francisco. Apostolic Commissioner of this conversionof the Mansos. in this church of Nuestra !'lefiora dp. Guadalupe del Passe,patron of said conversion and titnlar of th1R church, as principal to themarriages,. and they arp as follows..... Lillro 'Prlmero de Casamlemto·s. folio 2.Bandelter :Collection.)

18 Notes from the .Tuarez archives rurnlshed by Professor Bolton and Mr.J. W. Curd of EI Paso.

19 Vetancurt, Menologio, pp. 24---25; Medina, Chr6nica, 1682, p. 168.

preservation of the settlement, the governor complied withhis request." Posadas claimed to have laid the foundationof the "conversion and convent of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe del Paso del Rio," basing his claim, doubtless, ontimely aid rendered the struggling mission. On differentoccasions he furnished as many as three thousand beeves.four thousand head of sheep and goats, two thousandbullocks, two hundred mares and horses, plough-shares,laborers, carpenters, implements, and all the other necessaries; this he did because the barbarous inhabitants of theplace neither sowed nor knew aught of civilization, havingneither houses nor huts. In a few years the settlement hadnine thousand head of cattle and from thirteen to fourteenthousand head of sheep and goats, all of which were drawnupon to supply the refugees who retired there when thegeneral revolt in New Mexico occurred in 1680.1 6

Garcia's connection with the El Paso missions extendedover a period of about twelve years. He held the office ofguardian as late as 1671P His last signature in the burialrecords was on January 30, 1671, and in the baptismalrecords on September 8, 1671.18His death occurred January22, 1673, in the convent of Senecii, where he was buried.His life-work received high commendation from the chronic-

. Iers of his times, by whom he was regarded as a mirror ofvirtue."

3. The Establishment of Missions Sam Framcisco and LaSoledad.-Before 1680 there were established within the ElPaso district two other missions; they were Nuestro PadreSan Francisco de los Sumas and La Soledad de los Janos.The evidence of the existence of these missions, though not

,I

(VOL. 1University of California Publications in History308

/

Father Garcia was supported in his labors by the governors of New Mexico and by Fray Alonso de Posadas, a missionary in New Mexico between 1650 and 1660 and custodianof the province between 1660 and 1664. When Garcia setout to found the mission at El Paso, Governor Mendizabalpermitted him to take with him, from the mission at Senecu;ten families of Christian Indians to use in teaching theheathen." Governor Fernando de Villa Nueba, who probablyadministered the government of New Mexico after 1664,14aided Garcia in asimilar way. When the zealous father applied to Villa Nueba for six Manso boys and girls, servantsof Maestre de Campo Francisco Gomez Robledo, for use inteaching the Christian doctrine to the Indians at EI Paso,urging the petition on the plea that it was made for the

I.J The church, which was on the right bank of the Rio del1)~~tlNorte1o and half a league from th~~ stream, was app~rentlY~ tl~ completed in 1668. Vetancurt, writing about 1691, gives an

~~. ~ account of the dedication services held in January of 1668.\JiG td':· The account, which contains an interesting bit of informa

~ tion respecting the site of the mission, is subjoined:

On ·the slope of a rocky wood on the bank of theRio del Norte atthe pass in the year 1659, the conversion of .the Lansos, by anothername Mansos was made by the Reverend Father Fray Garcia de SanFrancisco; and he built a monastery, where are housed thirty religious,with a very capacious church dedicated to Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Mexicana. In 1668, on Janu~ry 15, the second Sunday after Epiphany, it was dedicated with much,solemnity by the Reverend FatherFray Juan Talaban,11 the custodian assisting and his. secretary preaching. That day, by three religious, were baptized one hundred persons;at one door the men, and the another the women; and in the middleof the church they married them. It has .more than three thousandparishioners, and today with the governor, soldiers, and other nativesof other nations who were spared in the rebellion, they number morethan two thousand.w

m g