Ottr C atlrolic Heritage in T e:i:as
second ranclrer;a, where the other large church had been built for the Padres by the natives. This was on an arroyo which flowed from north to south and which was no doubt Alamito Creek. Mendoza named this site El Apostol Santiago. Here Mass was celebrated on January 1, 1684, with all solemnity, by the two missionaries, perhaps in the same place where thirteen years before the zealous Father Garcia de San Francisco had preached. After this ceremony, Mendoza and his men , accompanied by the two Padres, set out on their remarkable journey that was to takt: them as far as present day San Angelo. 54 Formal establislrment of missions at La Junta. It is not our purpose to give a detailed account of the expedition of Mendoza and Father Lopez in the present chapter, having left this account for a subsequent chapter in the following volume. Suffice it to say that after an absence of six months, the expedition returned to La Junta and it was at this time that they took official possession of this area which clearly lies in Texas. Since this may be called the formal establishment of the first missions on La Junta, in the vicinity of present day Presidio, it will be well to give the details as fully as possible. On June 12, 1684, the chiefs and governors of the seven nations that had sworn allegiance to the king of Spain six months before, came together, possibly at the mission established on the site which Mendoza called Apostol Santiago, on the banks of Alamito Creek, a few miles south- east of present Presidio. More than five hundred Indians assembled for the occasion. They all appeared before Mendoza and declared that they desired and requested six more missionaries from Father Lopez to admin- ister to them the holy sacraments of the church and to instruct their children. They alleged that the two which were going to be left among them were not sufficient to look after their spiritual needs, pointing out that their pueblos were far apart and that their people were very numerous. They said that it was too great a hardship on the two assigned mis- sionaries to look after the spiritual needs of the natives. They further declared that while the Spaniards had been away in the interior of the country, the Indians had built six additional churches of reeds and timber for the new missionaries and that these structures would soon be replaced by others more permanent, to be made of adobe. To th is petition Father Lopez replied that he would present their request to the governor and 54 Bolton, op. cit., 324-325. For the details of this remarkable expedition that traversed and explored more than five hundred miles in West Texa!:, ~ee Chapter IX, Volun:e II, of this history.
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