Tl,e Agony of the Cliurch m Te:ras, 182I-1836
327
Goliad and how much of the land had been distributed or sold to citizens. He broadly hinted that the failure of the A,yuntamienw to take decisive action in the matter had brought censure upon him from the state government. The College of Zacaiecas finally agreed early in October to sur- render the missions and to allow Father Diaz de Leon to be assigned to Nacogdoches as parish priest and Father Muro, to the Villa de San Felipe de Austin. Administrator Lobo sent these appointments to the two zealous missionaries on December 4, 1829, and informed Musquiz. With the way clear, Musquiz now issued instructions for the formal secularization of Refugio and Espiritu Santo and the distribution of their lands. 45 The order issued on January 6, 1830, was not effectuated, however, until February 8 because of the absence of Father Muro. Diaz de Leon and Alcalde Miguel Aldrete, of Goliad, had meantime prepared inven- tories of all remaining mission property and checked them. On the date indicated, the missions and all their property were turned over to the A ,yunta111iento, and the inventories were duly signed before witnesses by Diaz de Leon, Muro and the City officials. The two mission- aries were at last released of all responsibility." The mission system had formally come to an end in Texas after more than a century. The secularization, begun in 1794, was complete. Father Diaz de Leon, the last president of the Zacatecas missions, realizing that the work of Christianization among the natives was not finished, tried courageously to prevent the secularization of Refugio, but succeeded in only delaying it_for seven years. As Father Muro had said a few years before, there was nothing left for the missionaries to do now but to weep for the many souls left uninstructed among the simple Indians of Texas and to transfer their efforts to instructing and converting the new settlers. With a heavy heart the two missionaries prepared to take up their new assignments. Muro was to labor for but a moment in the Austin colony, while Diaz de Leon was to find martyrdom in East Texas. The clr.urcn of Goliad. The parish church at Goliad was almost in ruins by 1828. The impoverished parishioners could not keep it in repair. ' 5 Musquiz to the Alcalde, September 1o, 18:29; Governor Viesca to Lobo, November 19, 18:29; Lobo to the Political Chief, December 4 1 18:29; Musquiz to Lobo, January 3, 1830, BJur ArcAivu. "For details see Oberste, Hislqry of R11fugio Missio,,, 326.
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