Located in San Augustine, TX (not St. Augustine, FL) Mission Dolores (there's one by the same name in San Francisco, CA) was a Spanish Mission built in 1721 and is only 20 miles from what is now the Louisiana-Texas border. The El Camino Real passes through it. This and other Spanish mission kicked off the cattle ranching business in Tejas as the Spanish brought horses to North America.
Father Antonio Margil de Jesus (pronounced Mar-heel), one of 12 Franciscan monks who accompanied the Spanish expedition into Northeast Tejas territory. He helped build the mission beginning in 1717. His purpose, like the all the other monks, was to convert the native populations to Christianity. One of the other monks, Father Gaspar Solis, wrote that things weren't going so well in one of his letters back "home". "Three missions which the College of Your Reverence has in the interior Province of Texas and which are far away and beset with many difficulties , enjoy less the fruits of their labors. We must be conscious of the fact that the holy Gospel does not command us to convert, but only to preach. And according the the Apostle, the work of conversion is not the work of the one who plants nor of him who waters but only of God, who gives the increase." Something many of us would do well to remember today. Today Father Margil is credited with several miracles, including striking of a rock with his staff (ala Moses) to bring forth springs for the thirsty members on his journey from Nacogdoches to an outlying area. The springs still flow today.
You can learn more about Father Margil here.
In 1763 the troubles with the French were settled with a peace treaty and the East Texas missions and forts were abandoned. You can learn more about Mission Dolores here.
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Father Antonio Margil de Jesus (pronounced Mar-heel), one of 12 Franciscan monks who accompanied the Spanish expedition into Northeast Tejas territory. He helped build the mission beginning in 1717. His purpose, like the all the other monks, was to convert the native populations to Christianity. One of the other monks, Father Gaspar Solis, wrote that things weren't going so well in one of his letters back "home". "Three missions which the College of Your Reverence has in the interior Province of Texas and which are far away and beset with many difficulties , enjoy less the fruits of their labors. We must be conscious of the fact that the holy Gospel does not command us to convert, but only to preach. And according the the Apostle, the work of conversion is not the work of the one who plants nor of him who waters but only of God, who gives the increase." Something many of us would do well to remember today. Today Father Margil is credited with several miracles, including striking of a rock with his staff (ala Moses) to bring forth springs for the thirsty members on his journey from Nacogdoches to an outlying area. The springs still flow today.
You can learn more about Father Margil here.
ALL PHOTOS AND INFORMATION ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. AS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF THE BLOGGER THEY MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR USED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE BLOGGER.
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