Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert

The Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert (Spanish: Misiones jesuíticas en el desierto de Sonora) are a series of Jesuit Catholic religious outposts established by the Spanish Catholic Jesuits and other orders for religious conversions of the Pima and Tohono O'odham indigenous peoples residing in the Sonoran Desert. An added goal was giving Spain a colonial presence in their frontier territory of the Sonora y Sinaloa Province in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and relocating by Indian Reductions (Reducciones de Indios) settlements and encomiendas for agricultural, ranching, and mining labor.

Geography and history

The missions are in an area of the Sonoran Desert, then called "Pimería Alta de Sonora y Sinaloa" (Upper Pima of Sonora and Sinaloa), now divided between the Mexican state of Sonora and the U.S. state of Arizona. Jesuits in missions in Northwestern Mexico wrote reports that throw light on the indigenous peoples they evangelized. A 1601 report, Relación de la Provincia de Nuestra Señora de Sinaloa was published in 1945. An important Jesuit report concerned the resistance in 1691 of the Tarahumara to evangelization, Historia de la tercera rebelión tarahumara. Another important Jesuit account of evangelization in Sonora is Estado y descripción de Sonora, 1730, which has considerable information about the size of the indigenous population, culture, and languages.

In the Spring of 1687, Jesuit missionary named Father Eusebio Francisco Kino lived and worked with the Native Americans (including the Sobaipuri) in the area called the "Pimería Alta," or "Upper Pima Country," which presently is located in northern Sonora and southern Arizona. During Father Eusebio Kino's stay in the Pimería Alta, he founded over twenty missions in eight mission districts.

On February 3, 1768, King Carlos III ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain and its overseas empire. Despite the order, many Jesuits remained in and around the present day Tucson, Arizona, as late as the 1780s.[citation needed]

The Jesuit missionaries were subsequently replaced by Franciscans, who divided the existing missions between two institutes: the Colegio de Querétaro and the Province of Santiago de Xalisco.

Missions

Missions were organized hierarchically. Each province contained several missions (cabaceras), which might have dependent visitas. (A particularly successful visita might be promoted to a mission in its own right.) Each mission or visita in turn had subordinate pueblos.

The five provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa were:

  • Tarahumara
  • Sinaloa
  • Ostimuri
  • Sonora
  • Pimería

As of the Jesuit expulsion in 1767, there were a total of 52 missions in the region: 41 in Sonora proper, and an additional 11 in Sinaloa.

Name Mission Image Location Date founded Order Notes Source
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Arizpe Arizpe 30.33732, -110.16552 1648 (1648) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Miguel Bacoachi Arizpe 1648 (1648) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San José de Chinapa Arizpe 1648 (1648) Jesuits Briefly an independent mission. : 6 
Vesuachi Chinapa Jesuits
Mission San Miguel de Ures Ures 29.42926, -110.39001 1644 (1644) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Ignacio de Soniquipa Ures 1646 (1646) Jesuits Initially founded as a visita of Banámichi. Also spelled "Sinoquipe", and other variants. : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Beramitzi Huépac 30.00765, -110.21768 1639 (1639) Jesuits Later an independent mission. Also spelled Banámichi or Banamitzi. : 6 
Mission San Lorenzo de Güepaca Huépac 1644 (1644) Jesuits Later a visita. : 6 
Mission San Pablo del Pescadero Huépac Jesuits : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora del Populo del Seri Hermosillo 1679 (1679) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Nacameri Hermosillo 1638 (1638) Jesuits At other times variously a visita of Ures, Pópulo, and Opodepe. : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles Hermosillo Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Pedro de la Conquista de los Seris Hermosillo 1742 (1742) Jesuits
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Baviácora Baviácora 1639 (1639) Jesuits Later a visita. : 6 
Mission San Pedro Aconchi Baviácora 1639 (1639) Jesuits Later became an independent mission. : 6 
Mission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa Tecorípa Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Ignacio de Suaqui Tecorípa 1620 (1620) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Francisco Xavier de Cumuripa Tecorípa Jesuits Also spelled "Comusipa". Later became an independent mission. : 6 
Inchoada de Hecatari Tecorípa Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Ignacio de Loyola de Ónavas Ónavas 1622 (1622) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Joseph de Soyopa Ónavas Jesuits Also known as San Francisco de Soyopa. : 6 
Mission San José de Mátape Mátape (es) 1629 (1629) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Santa Cruz de Nacori Mátape (es) 1629 (1629) Jesuits Often called "Nacori Grande". : 6 
Mission Assumpción de Nuestra Señora de los Alamos Mátape (es) 1630 Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Francisco Xavier de Rebeico Mátape (es) 1673 (1673) Jesuits Also spelled Robesco. : 6 
Mission San Javier de Arivechi Arivechi 1627 (1627) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Ignacio Bacanora Arivechi 1627 (1627) Jesuits At another time a visita of Sahuaripa. : 6 
Pondia Arivechi 1627 (1627) Jesuits
Mission Santa Rosalia de Onapa Onapa Jesuits Initially a visita of Arivechi. : 6 
Mission Los Siete Angeles de Taraichi Onapa Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Ildefonso de Ostimuri Onapa Jesuits : 6 
Valle de Tacupeto (es) Onapa Jesuits
Mission San Jose de Teopari Teopari (hr) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Santa Maria de los Dolores Teopari (hr) Jesuits : 6 
Nátori Teopari (hr) Jesuits
Mission Santa Ana de Mobas Mobas 1622 (1622) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Joaquín de Nuri Mobas 1622 (1622) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sahuaripa Sahuaripa 1641 (1641) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Mateo Malzura Sahuaripa 1677 (1677) Jesuits : 6 
Santo Tomás Sahuaripa Jesuits
Mission San Idelfonso de Yécora Yécora 1673 (1673) Jesuits Initially a visita of Onapa. : 6 
Santa Ana Yécora Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Francisco Xavier de Maycoba Yécora 1676 (1676) Jesuits
Mission San Francisco de Huásaca Huásabas 1645 (1645) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Ignacio de Oputo Huásabas 1644 (1644) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Luis Gonzága de Bacadéhuachi Nácori Chico 29.8077, -109.14075 1645 (1645) Jesuits Later an independent mission. : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de Nácori Chico Nácori Chico 1665 (1665) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Santo Tomás de Serva Nácori Chico 1645 (1645) Jesuits
Mission San Ignacio de Mochapa Bacadéhuachi Jesuits : 6 
Sátachi Bacadéhuachi Jesuits Possibly earlier a visita of Nacori Chico.
Mission Santa María de Bacerac Bacerac 1645 (1645) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Miguel de Bavispe Bacerac 1645 (1645) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Juan Evangelista de Huachinera Bacerac 1645 (1645) Jesuits Also spelled Guachintra. Later an independent mission. : 6 
Mission Santa Gertrudis de Techicadéguachi Huachinera 1688 (1688) Jesuits
Mission San Miguel Arcángel de Oposura Oposura 1738 (1738) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Cumpas Oposura 1643 (1643) Jesuits Later a visita of Huásabas. : 6 
Térapa Oposura Jesuits
Mission (Nuestro Padre) San Ignacio de Cuquiarachi Cuquiarachi (es) 30.87454, -109.67032 1653 (1653) Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Francisco Xavier de Cuchuta Cuquiarachi (es) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Teuricachi Cuquiarachi (es) 1653 (1653) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Santa Rosa de Tebadéguachi Cuquiarachi (es) 1653 (1653) Jesuits
Mission Santa Maria de Tepupa Batuc 1629 (1629) Jesuits Flooded by Lake Novillo in 1964. : 6 
Mission San Francisco Javier de Batuc Batuc Jesuits Flooded by Lake Novillo in 1964. : 6 
Mission San Joaquín y Santa Ana de Tepachi Batuc Jesuits Later a visita of Oposura.
Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama Tubutama 30.88497, -111.46544 1691 (1691) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Santa Teresa de Atil Tubutama 30.84437, -111.58387 1687 (1687) Jesuits Later an independent mission. : 6 
Mission San Antonio (Paduano) de(l) Oquitoa Tubutama 30.74371, -111.73494 1689 (1689) Jesuits Later a visita of Atil. : 6 
Mission La Purísima Concepción de Nuestra Señora de Caborca Caborca 30.69748, -112.14703 1693 (1693) Jesuits
Mission Jesus Maria de Busani Caborca Jesuits : 6 
Mission Los Cinco Señores del Busani Caborca Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Valentin del Bizani Caborca 1694 (1694) Jesuits Established as Visita de San Juan de Bisaning (Bisanig). Elevated to the status of mission on Valentine's Day in 1694. The church ruins date to 1706.
Mission San José de Imuris San Ignacio 30.77742, -110.86257 1687 (1687) Jesuits Later an independent mission. : 6 
Mission Nuestro Padre de San Ignacio de Cabórica (es) San Ignacio 30.69696, -110.92431 1687 (1687) Jesuits Also known as San Ignacio de los Pimas. : 6 
Mission Los Santos Reyes de Cucurpe Cucurpe 30.3318, -110.70439 1647 (1647) Jesuits Founded by Marcos del Río. In ruins.
Mission San Juan Bautista de Saracachi Cucurpe Jesuits : 6 
Mission San Miguel Tuape Cucurpe 1647 (1647) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Ascención de Opodepe Cucurpe 1704 (1704) Jesuits Later an independent mission. : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (de Cósari) Dolores 1687 (1687) Jesuits First mission founded in the Pimería Alta by Father Kino. It had a visita called San José at Aquimuri. Abandoned in 1744. : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Doagibubig Dolores 1687 (1687) Jesuits Abandoned in 1740. Nonextant. : 6 
Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera Dolores 30.92866, -110.61148 1689 (1689) Jesuits : 6 
Mission Santa María Suamca Cocóspera 1693 (1693) Jesuits Founded as Santa María del Pilar. The location changed and it became known as Santa María Suamca (spellings vary) or Santa María Bugota. Sometimes an independent mission, sometimes a visita of Cocóspera. It had visitas at San Lázaro and San Luis Bacoancos.
Mission San Lázaro Suamca 1691 (1691) Jesuits Abandoned after an Apache raid.
Mission Santa Gertrudis del Sáric Sáric 1690 (1690) Jesuits
Mission San Ambrosio del Búsanic y Tucubavia Sáric 1690 (1690) Jesuits
Mission San Bernardo de Aquimuri Sáric 1700 (1700) Jesuits
Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi Guevavi 31.41007, -110.90198 1691 (1691) Jesuits First church built in what is now southern Arizona. Abandoned in 1775. The church ruins date to 1751.
Mission San Luis Bacoancos Guevavi 1691 (1691) Jesuits Abandoned after an Apache raid.
Mission San Ignacio de Sonoitac Guevavi 1692 (1692) Jesuits Also named Los Reyes de Sonoita and Los Reyes del Sonoydag. A ranchería near Patagonia.
Mission San Cayetano del Tumacácori Guevavi 1691 (1691) Jesuits The mission abandoned during the 1751 O'odham Uprising and rebuilt as Mission San José de Tumacácori to the west of the Santa Cruz River.
Mission San José de Tumacácori Guevavi 31.56861, -111.0509 1757 (1757) Jesuits Located west of the site of Mission San Cayetano del Tumacácori. Abandoned in 1828. The farming land around the mission was sold at auction in 1834. Nonextant.
Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas Guevavi 31.45252, -110.95945 1755 (1755) Jesuits Abandoned in 1786.
Mission Santa Rosa de Bácum Bácum 1617 (1617) Jesuits
Mission Espíritu Santu Cócorit Bácum 1617 (1617) Jesuits
Mission Nuestra Señora de Belem Huiribis (es) Jesuits Later an independent mission.
Mission Santa Bárbara de Huiribis Huiribis (es) Jesuits Later a visita.
Natividad Navojoa Navojoa 1614 (1614) Jesuits
Mission San Ignacio Cohurimbo Navojoa 1614 (1614) Jesuits Also spelled Curimpo.
Mission Santa Catarina de Camoa Navojoa 1614 (1614) Jesuits Later an independent mission.
Mission San Fernando de las Amarillas del Carrizal 1773 (1773) Jesuits
Mission San Andrés Conicari Conicari 1614 (1614) Jesuits
Mission Espíritu Santo Etchojoa 1614 (1614) Jesuits
Mission San José de Laguna de Guaymas 1701 (1701) Jesuits
Mission Santa Cruz del Río Mayo Mayo 1614 (1614) Jesuits
Mission San Estanislao del Ootcam 1699 (1699) Jesuits Originally called Gubo Verde. Location now lost. : 92 
Trinidad Pótam (es) Rahum 1617 (1617) Jesuits
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Rahum Rahum 1617 (1617) Jesuits
Texas Jesuits
Mission San Ignacio de Torin Tórim (es) 1617 (1617) Jesuits
Trinidad Vícam Tórim (es) Jesuits
Mission San Xavier del Bac 32.10722, -111.00797 1692 (1692) Jesuits 1692–1770, 1783–1837, 1859–present. The extant mission church was completed in 1797.
Mission Nuestra Señora de Loreto y San Marcelo de Sonoyta 1693 (1693) Jesuits
Mission San Cosme y Damián de Tucsón 32.21346, -110.98703 1768 (1768) Franciscans Abandoned in 1828. Nonextant.
Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción 32.73052, -114.61557 1780 (1780) Franciscans Located in California but administered as part of the Pimería Alta missions. Destroyed during a Quechan raid from July 17–19, 1781. Nonextant. A reconstruction of the mission was completed in 1923, which currently serves as a parish church.
Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer 32.81636, -114.51511 1781 (1781) Franciscans Located in California but administered as part of the Pimería Alta missions. Destroyed during a Quechan raid from July 17–19, 1781. Nonextant.
Mission Santa María Magdalena de Buquivaba Mission Nuestro Padre de San Ignacio de Cabórica (es) 1699 (1699) Jesuits

See also

On Spanish Missions in neighboring regions:

  • Spanish missions in Arizona (including northern Arizona)
  • Spanish missions in Baja California
  • Spanish missions in California
  • Spanish missions in Chihuahua and Coahuila
  • Spanish missions in New Mexico

On general missionary history:

On colonial Spanish American history:

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