The Beginnings of Civilized Life in Texas, 1731-1745
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Mission del Espiritu Santo. Regarding La Bahia, the same recorder stated· that in 1747 there were one hundred and twenty-five families with more than four hundred persons living regularly in the mission pueblo of Espiritu Santo de Zuniga. All children up to the age of fourteen, as well as most of the adults, had been duly baptized after being instructed in the doctrina. Of the two tribes congregated all the Tamiques were baptized Christians. Most of the Xaranames had also received this sacra- ment, but there were a few among them who were still receiving instruc- tions preparatory to being baptized. All the adults who were Christians had been properly married in the church and made to renounce polygamy. Such was the state of the Mission of Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo on the eve of its third removal to its final location at present Goliad in 1749. 1 ' Zacatecan missions in East Texas. Father Ciprian, now Guardian of the College of Zacatecas, had spent many years in East Texas. In his report he declared that the missions founded there in 1716 had cost the missionaries many more sacrifices and much greater labor than all the others, yet there were few if any tangible results to record. The fruits of their labors had, indeed, been meager. But the missionaries found consolation in the fact that their duty was to preach the gospel regardless of the indifference of the natives. "The fruit of conversion is reaped neither by the planter of the seed nor by the cultivator of the field," he explains, adding that it is the result of grace and is in the hands of the Lord. For more than twenty-eight years they had worked incessantly, but all they had accomplished was the baptism mostly of children and of a few adults, generally in articulo nzortis. The missionaries had spared no efforts to bring the natives to a knowledge of Christianity, traveling many miles on foot at all seasons of the year. It was most discouraging to find the parents of dying babies opposed to their baptism, believing, in their ignorance, that the cleansing waters of this sacrament caused the death of their children. Father Ciprian frankly admits that often the missionaries had· to bribe the parents with gifts in order to be allowed to baptize the sick children who were on the point of death. The hardships and privations of the faithful and zealous Padres were great. Epidemics of measles, smallpox, and colds were frequent. At such times the missionaries spent two and three weeks at a time going from
7'Fray Ciprian to Fray Abasolo, October 27, 1749. San Ff'ancisco #l Gf'ana# Arcliives, vol. S, pp. 41-46.
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