01'r Catltolic Heritage in Texas
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along the coast. But by this time, Father Silva's enthusiasm had been chilled by cold reality, and he was ready to retire, broken both in health and spirit. Retirement of Fatlier Silva. By August, 1796, Father Silva was seriously contemplating giving up the enterprise. He was sick, practically an invalid. He had lost the use of his left hand, and inflammatory rheumatism had stiffened his knees so much that he could not bend them. He wrote Fray Francisco Gomarra, guardian of the College of Zacatecas, that he would have to leave soon for treatment and that he was about to turn over the administration of Mission Refugio to the College. On August 16, Fray Gomarra warned Father Silva not to leave Texas without making the necessary arrangements with the commandant general for the legal transfer of the mission. 83 But Father Silva had always been impulsive and, once he had made up his mind, he was in the habit of translating his decision into imme- diate action. On September 8, 1796, he informed Father Fray Jose Antonio Mariano Garavito, who was still convalescing from a serious attack of malaria fever, that he was turning over the mission to him and his assistant, Fray Jose Mariano Saenz, as representatives of the College of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe of Zacatecas, who would hence- forth be responsible for its administration. In vain did Fray Garavito remonstrate that he did not have the authority to assume the respon- sibility and that the act had to be approved first by the Discretorio of the College and the commandant general of the Interior Provinces. He handed to his amazed companions inventories of the mission property, a financial report which showed there were no outstanding debts, and summoned the Indians to ask them if they had any objections to being administered henceforth by the College. The surprised and uncompre- hending Indians replied in the negative. He left that same day for La Bahia, assuring Fray Garavito and Fray Saenz that his sickness brooked no delay, that in due time he would inform the governor, the commandant general, and the guardian of the College and get their approval for the transfer." From La Bahia, he informed Governor Munoz of the transfer and llFrancisco Gomarra to Pedro Nava, November 7, 1796; Fray Silva to the Discretorio of the College of Zacatecas, September 11, 1796. Bexar Arc/1ives. "Manuel Silva to Manuel Munoz, September 13; same to the Discretorio of Zacatecas, September 11, 1 796; Jose Garavito to Francisco Gomarra, September 2 3, 1796. Bexar Arcnives.
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