San Agustín de la Isleta Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Agustín de la Isleta Mission |
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San Agustín de la Isleta Mission, 1925
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 San Agustín de la Isleta Mission
Location in New Mexico
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| 34°54′32.4″N 106°41′36.0″W / 34.909000°N 106.693333°W | |
| Location | Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Franciscan |
| History | |
| Founded | 1613 (construction finished in 1621) |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Juan de Salas |
| Completed | 1629/1630 |
The San Agustín de la Isleta Mission is an old church in New Mexico, United States. It was started in 1613 by Spanish Franciscan priests. They built it to share the Christian faith with the Native American people living there. This mission was an important religious center.
Contents
History of the Mission
The Isleta Pueblo People
The mission was built at Isleta Pueblo. This is the home of the Tiwa people. They are a Native American tribe. The Spanish called their village "Isleta," meaning "islet" or "little island." This was because it was on a piece of land sticking out into the Rio Grande river. The Tiwa people called their village Shiewhibak.
Early Spanish Visits
The first European to visit the Isleta village was Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1540. He was a Spanish explorer. Later, in 1582, another explorer named Antonio de Espejo also visited the pueblo. He was looking for a lost expedition.
Building the First Mission
A Franciscan priest named Juan de Salas arrived in New Mexico in 1622. He likely built the first church, called the San Antonio "convent," around 1629 or 1630. Many Native Americans from other villages came to Isleta for safety. They were trying to escape raids by the Apache tribe. By 1680, about 2,000 people may have lived at the mission.
The Pueblo Revolt
In 1680, the Native American people of the pueblos started a big uprising called the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. They fought against the Spanish settlers. The Spanish at Isleta resisted the revolt. The pueblo was burned down. Some Tiwa people went south with the Spanish colonists. They moved to El Paso, Texas and started a new mission there called Ysleta Mission del Sur.
Rebuilding and Changes
In 1692, the Spanish returned and took back control of the Pueblo lands. Mission work started again. Around 1710, the Isleta people moved back to their original pueblo. A new mission was built there. It was named San Agustín.
Over time, more Spanish settlers moved into the area. The Native American missions became less important. In 1780, a terrible smallpox sickness spread. It caused many deaths among the Pueblo people. Many Spanish missions were closed then. However, San Agustín continued to operate for another 50 years. It stayed open under Spanish and later Mexican rule.
Modern Changes to the Church
In the late 1800s, a priest named Anton Docher came to Isleta from Belgium. He worked at the Isleta mission for 34 years, from 1891 to 1925. In 1923, he made big changes to the mission church. He added tall, pointed spires to the adobe walls. These spires were in a French style. He also replaced the flat roof with a sloped one. This helped stop water leaks that damaged the altar.
Later, in the late 1900s, the mission church was restored. It was changed back to look more like its original structure. Father Docher was buried inside the church, near the altar.
More to Explore
- Spanish missions in New Mexico
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Images for kids
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San Agustín de la Isleta Mission, 1880
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San Agustin de la Isleta mission Church, 1900
External Links
- New Mexico Dept of Tourism article
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Pueblo Indians". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton.
