Mission San Juan Capistrano (Texas)
Encyclopedia
Mission San Juan Capistrano (originally christened in 1716 as La Misión San José de los Nazonis and located in East Texas
) was founded in 1731 by Spanish
Catholics of the Franciscan
Order, on the eastern banks of the San Antonio River
in present-day Bexar County, Texas
. The new settlement (part of a chain of Spanish
missions) was named for a 15th-century theologian
and "warrior priest" who resided in the Abruzzo
region of Italy
. The mission San Juan was named after Saint John
of Capestrano
.
) was built out of brush and mud. Eventually a campanile
, or "bell tower" containing two bells was incorporated into the structure, which was replaced by a long hall with a flat roof and an attractive belfry around 1756. Around 1760 construction of a larger church building was begun on the east side of the Mission compound, but was never completed due to the lack of sufficient labor. Mission San Juan did not prosper to the same extent as the other San Antonio missions because lands allotted to it were not sufficient to plant vast quantities of crops, or breed large numbers of horse
s and cattle
; a dam
was constructed in order to supply water to the Mission's acequia, or irrigation system. (the Mission reportedly owned 1,000 head of cattle, 3,500 sheep and goat
s, and 100 horses in 1762).
Some 265 neophytes resided in adobe
huts at the Mission in 1756; by 1790 the native Coahuiltecan
people were living in stone quarters, though their number had dropped to 58. San Juan Capistrano was administered by the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro
until March of 1773, when it was placed under the care of the College of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zacatecas
.
on July 14, 1794, after which time it was attended by the resident priest at Mission San Francisco de la Espada
, until about 1813; it was then attended by the one remaining missionary at the nearby Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo until 1824. Mission San Juan was largely neglected until 1840, when religious services were once again conducted, this time by diocesan priests. Members of the Claretian
and Redemptorist
Orders also held mass in the church until 1967, when the Franciscans returned to Mission San Juan.
since the 1980s.This mission was considered the mother of all missions.
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
) was founded in 1731 by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Catholics of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Order, on the eastern banks of the San Antonio River
San Antonio River
The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in north central San Antonio, approximately four miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the Guadalupe River about ten miles from...
in present-day Bexar County, Texas
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
. The new settlement (part of a chain of Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
missions) was named for a 15th-century theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and "warrior priest" who resided in the Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The mission San Juan was named after Saint John
Giovanni da Capistrano
Saint John of Capistrano, O.F.M., was a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest from Italy...
of Capestrano
Capestrano
Capestrano is a comune and small town with 965 inhabitants , in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the natural park known as the "Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park".-Antiquity:...
.
Mission
The first primitive capilla (chapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
) was built out of brush and mud. Eventually a campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
, or "bell tower" containing two bells was incorporated into the structure, which was replaced by a long hall with a flat roof and an attractive belfry around 1756. Around 1760 construction of a larger church building was begun on the east side of the Mission compound, but was never completed due to the lack of sufficient labor. Mission San Juan did not prosper to the same extent as the other San Antonio missions because lands allotted to it were not sufficient to plant vast quantities of crops, or breed large numbers of horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
; a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
was constructed in order to supply water to the Mission's acequia, or irrigation system. (the Mission reportedly owned 1,000 head of cattle, 3,500 sheep and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, and 100 horses in 1762).
Some 265 neophytes resided in adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
huts at the Mission in 1756; by 1790 the native Coahuiltecan
Coahuiltecan
Coahuiltecan or Paikawa was a proposed language family in John Wesley Powell's 1891 classification of Native American languages that consisted of Coahuilteco and Cotoname. The proposal was expanded to include Comecrudo, Karankawa, and Tonkawa...
people were living in stone quarters, though their number had dropped to 58. San Juan Capistrano was administered by the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro
College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro
The College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro was the first missionary college, or seminary , in the New World to train missionaries. One of its founders was Father Damián Massanet. The college, founded in the latter 1600s, was located in Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain, in present day...
until March of 1773, when it was placed under the care of the College of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zacatecas
College of Guadalupe de Zacatecas
The College of Guadalupe de Zacatecas was a Roman Catholic Franciscan missionary college, or seminary , founded in Guadalupe, Zacatecas by the Order of Friars Minor between 1703-1707...
.
Secularization
The Mission was secularizedSecularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
on July 14, 1794, after which time it was attended by the resident priest at Mission San Francisco de la Espada
Mission San Francisco de la Espada
Mission San Francisco de la Espada was a Roman Catholic mission established by Spain near San Antonio de Bexar in northern New Spain in 1731 to convert local Native Americans to Christianity and solidify Spanish territorial claims in the New World against encroachment from France...
, until about 1813; it was then attended by the one remaining missionary at the nearby Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo until 1824. Mission San Juan was largely neglected until 1840, when religious services were once again conducted, this time by diocesan priests. Members of the Claretian
Claretians
The Claretians, a community of Roman Catholic priests and brothers, were founded by Saint Anthony Claret in 1849. They strive to follow their founder's “on fire” example and help wherever they are needed. Their ministries are highly diverse and vary depending on the needs of the area. They focus...
and Redemptorist
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
Orders also held mass in the church until 1967, when the Franciscans returned to Mission San Juan.
Theft of Three Altar Statues
Three Spanish Colonial-period statues that sat at the altar were stolen sometime on the night of Monday, July 31 or early the morning of Tuesday, August 1, 2000. The statues are between 3–4 feet tall and are constructed of carved wood that had been painted. They are considered priceless due to their religious and historical significance.San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
As part of a public works project in 1934 some of the native quarters and the foundations of the unfinished church were unearthed. The chapel, priests' quarters, and other structures were reconstructed during the 1960s. Most of the original square remains within the courtyard walls, portraying an authentic depiction of the floor plan and layout. Mission San Juan has been maintained by the National Park Service as a part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical ParkSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas. These outposts were established by Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives...
since the 1980s.This mission was considered the mother of all missions.
See also
- Spanish missions in TexasSpanish missions in TexasThe Spanish Missions in Texas comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier land. The missions...
- Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de AcuñaMission ConcepcionMission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña was established in 1716 as Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainais in East Texas. The mission was moved in 1731 to San Antonio...
- also called Mission Concepcion - Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo - also called Mission San José
- Mission San Francisco de la Espada - also called Mission San Espada
- Espada AcequiaEspada AcequiaThe Espada Acequia, or Piedras Creek Aqueduct, was built by Franciscan friars in 1731 in what is now San Antonio, Texas, United States. It was built to supply irrigation water to the lands near Mission San Francisco de la Espada, today part of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park...