Our Cat/1olic Heritage in T cxas
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Fray Jose Mariano Cardenas was the president of the Texas missions at this time. To him Gomarra wrote immediately, instructing him to receive Mission Refugio from Governor Munoz, since the Discretorio had agreed to assume its administration. If Father Silva were still in Texas, he should be requested to make a report on the finances of the mission. Copies of the terms of the transfer and the inventories of all mission property were to be sent to the College.8 8 But Father Silva had already departed, and Governor Munoz was unable to go to Refugio, because he was ill himself. Captain Cortes, therefore, at the request of the governor, confirmed the transfer, and Refugio became a Zacatecan mission. The Discretorio, composed of Fathers Ignacio Maria Laba, Jose Mariano Rojo, Francisco Gomarra, Jose Antonio Alcocer, Juan Bautista Larondo, and Jose Ramon Texada, acknowledged their appreciation to Father Silva for his sacrifices, and his personal interest in founding the mission, and expressed deep regret for his affiiction. 89 In spite of the avowed assurances of Silva that there were no debts outstanding, Captain Juan Bautista Elguezabal found, upon conducting an inspection of La Bahia in 1797, that Mission Refugio owed Presidio Nuestra Senora de Loreto one thousand fifty-five pesos. Nava was incensed to learn that this debt for supplies had not been paid. He wrote Munoz to remind him that Father Silva had agreed to put the mission on a self-supporting basis with the four thousand pesos granted to him, and that when he turned it over to Fathers Garavito and Saenz on September 8, 1796, he had declared there were no debts outstanding. Father Cardenas, president of the missions, was to be informed, therefore, that the money due the presidio at La Bahia would have to be paid. 90 On January 19, 1798, Nava wrote Captain Elguezabal again to inform him that he had instructed Father Cardenas to order Mission Refugio to settle the account without delay. If no settlement was made within eight days, Elguezabal was to proceed to the confiscation of such property as was not needed for the maintenance of the Indians. 91 In this manner the accounts contracted by Father Silva were finally settled. Settling tlze debts of Refugio i11 ission.
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"Francisco Gomarra to Jose Mariano Cardenas, October 31, 1796. Bexar Archives. 19 Discretorio del Colegio de Zacatecas to Manuel Silva, November 7, 179 6. B e:rar Archives.
90 Nava to Manuel Munoz, August 4, 1797. Bexar Archives. 91 Nava to Elguezabal, January 19, I 798. Bexar Arc/1ives.
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