Our Catholic ff eritage in Texas
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immediately presented the royal Cidttlas, Papal Brief, and all the other documents pertaining to the establishment of the new college to the Father Provincial of the Order. Two days later, on August I 6, 1683, the first college of P1·opaga11da Fide in America, to be known as Co1egio de la Santa Cruz de Queretaro, was officially inaugurated. 39 From this seminary of the Franciscan Order were to come many illustrious mission- aries who labored incessantly with sublime devotion for the co1wersion of the Indians of Texas, and who, in several instances, willingly made the last sacrifice and gladly welcomed martyrdom for the propagation of our faith, the main purpose of their college. Let it not be thought, however, that prior to the establishment of the college of Queretaro there were no missionaries in Mexico. From the time of the conquest members of different religious orders had actively and continually engaged in missionary work among the Indians in the various provinces of Mexico. But with the establishment of this apostolic college of La Santa Cruz de Queretaro and the others that followed, we have specialized or trained missionaries, whose one and only interest was the propagation of the faith. How did the founders of the college come to work in Texas and when did they begin their missionary labors among the natives? The com- panions of Fray Antonio were somewhat disappointed at first in not finding immediate employment for their all-consuming desire to make new converts. "True it is," says Father Espinosa, "that even today [1746] there are parts in this vast kingdom [Mexico] with numerous barbarous nations who recognize no law or religion. But since in order to reach them it was necessary to find a way through those already converted, and the various religious orders had control of the land in all directions, having previously established missions and marked out the general direction of their spiritual conquests [before the arrival of the founders of the new college], the opposition to the newcomers was by no means insignificant and required royal assistance to overcome." 40 Eminently successful in preaching missions among the faithful, the new apostolic missionaries watched eagerly for an opportunity to begin their labors among the unconverted Indians. While two of them were in the country of Cerro Gordo, north of Queretaro, they met Bishop Francisco de Aguiar y Seyxas visiting his diocese. This saintly prelate. upon learning of their ardent desire to work among the natives, entrusted
19 /bid., 44-45; 55-56. fA/ bid.., 88.
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