Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
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of these was destined to become the queen of the frontier institutions, and although San Francisco Xavier was never to be realized, that of Espiritu Santo, in spite of many changes of location, developed into one of the most successful undertakings in the coastal region of Texas. These ten centers of civilization, for each mission was truly a center, where the Indians were not only instructed in our Faith but also in the customs, the manners, the industries, and the arts of social development and the cultivation of the fundamentals of self-government, were in time to exercise a far-reaching influence. It is no exaggeration, therefore, to say that the missionaries, through their unselfish endeavors for the spread of the Gospel, planted the seeds of civilization deep in the virgin soil of Texas.
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