Our Cat/,olic Heritage in Texas
were supported by the State they were expected likewise to serve the State's purpose. From the point of view of the government the missionary was not only to Christianize the natives, but to extend, hold, and civilize the frontiers. Through his missionary endeavors, the Padre was able to exercise great influence among the natives with whom he came into contact, setting them against foreigners, deterring them from invading the interior settlements, and securing their aid in checking more distant tribes before they penetrated the frontier. His missionary zeal often carried him far beyond the known territory and made him an explorer. Upon his tact and judgment depended often the friendship or hostility of the unconverted tribes. How did the mission accomplish its twofold purpose? In order to Christianize and civilize the Indians it was essential that they be gathered into pueblos, where they would ha,·e a fixed habitat and where the mis- sionary could influence them by work and example day after day. In the case of the interior of Mexico and the pueblos of New Mexico, the Spaniards found large groups already congregated. This facilitated the task of conversion and civilization greatly. But in the case of Texas, it was necessary to group them about the missions and establish them in pueblos or villages. It was this feature that gave the frontier missions their general character as described. Here discipline could be imposed upon the neophytes, who, like children, were not always willing to learn what was best for them. But "if the Indian was to become either a worthy Christian or a desirable subject he must be disciplined in the rudiments of civilized life."' 5 In each mission, therefore, the missionary imparted religious instruction and industrial training by the simple process of following a definite routine. Let it not be thought, however, that this was done in a haphazard or desultory fashion. Much judgment and discretion was exercised by the unselfish and zealous missionaries in accomplishing their task and in following the routine prescribed by superior authorities. The bells of the mission called the Indians to the relio-ious service at dawn. After the 0 • service the adults gathered in front of the church for thirty minutes or an hour of instruction in the catechism. This was generally given in Spanish, since almost all the mission Indians learned the language soon after they came to live in the pueblo. But to those who could not u nd er- . . After the instruc- )tand, the lesson was explained through an interpreter.
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UBolton, Texas;,, t/u Middle Eighteenth Century, 10.
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