Spanish missions in New Mexico facts for kids

The Spanish Missions in New Mexico were a series of religious outposts in the Province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México — present day New Mexico. They were established by Franciscan friars under charter from the monarchs of the Spanish Empire and the government of the Viceroyalty of New Spain in a policy called Reductions to facilitate the conversion of Native Americans into Christianity.

History

They attempted to Hispanicize the indigenous peoples. The affected included the rich cultures and tribes of: many of the 21 distinct Puebloan groups; the Tiwa; the Navajo; and the Apache. The missions also aimed to pacify resistance to the European invasion of the tribes' Pre-Columbian homelands and loss of traditions. The missions introduced European livestock, fruits, vegetables, and small-scale industry into the Southwest region. They also introduced European diseases to which native people had little or no acquired immunity.

Fray Marcos de Niza, sent by Coronado, first saw the area now known as New Mexico in 1539. The first permanent settlement was Mission San Gabriel, founded in 1598 by Juan de Oñate near what is now known as Okay Owingeh, formerly known as the San Juan Pueblo.

Missions

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes
Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Porciúncula		Near Pecos 35°33′00″N 105°41′4″W / 35.55000°N 105.68444°W / 35.55000; -105.68444 (Pecos)	1598	Original church was used only briefly and abandoned. Reestablished in 1616 with a new church completed after 1629. Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt c. 1696, rebuilt again c. 1717. Abandoned in 1838. Ruins are part of Pecos National Historical Park.
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Zía		Zia Pueblo	1598	Established as San Pedro y San Pablo. Damaged in 1680 and rededicated in 1692 as Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Church built c. 1700.
San Juan Bautista de los Caballeros		Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo	1598	Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt c. 1706. Replaced with a new Gothic-style church in 1913.
San José de los Jémez		Near Jemez Springs 35°46′38″N 106°41′11″W / 35.77722°N 106.68639°W / 35.77722; -106.68639 (Jemez)	1600 c. c. 1600	Church completed between 1625 and 1628, abandoned c. 1630. Ruins are now part of Jemez Historic Site.
San Felipe		San Felipe Pueblo	1605	Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt on a new site in 1706. Remodeled c. 1801.
Santo Domingo		Kewa Pueblo	1607	Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt in 1706. A second church was added in the mid-18th century. Both were destroyed in a flood of the Rio Grande in 1886. The current church was built in 1895 at a new location.
Nuestra Señora de Dolores y de San Antonio de Sandía		Sandia Pueblo	1610 c. c. 1610	Established as San Francisco de Sandía. Destroyed and pueblo abandoned in 1680. Reestablished in 1748 as Nuestra Señora de Dolores y de San Antonio. Second church completed in 1752 and collapsed in the 1770s. Third church built c. 1784 and fell to ruins by the 1860s. Current church built on new site in 1864 and remodeled most recently in 1976.
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Galisteo		Pueblo Galisteo, Galisteo Basin	1610 c. c. 1610	Abandoned in 1680, reestablished in 1706 by Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, abandoned again in the 1780s.
San Marcos		Pueblo San Marcos, Galisteo Basin	1610 c. c. 1610	Abandoned in 1680.
San Miguel		Santa Fe 35°41′00″N 105°56′16″W / 35.68343°N 105.93767°W / 35.68343; -105.93767 (San Miguel)	1610 c. c. 1610	Built c. 1610, partly destroyed in 1680, rebuilt 1710.
San Agustín de la Isleta		Isleta Pueblo 34°54′32.4″N 106°41′36.0″W / 34.909000°N 106.693333°W / 34.909000; -106.693333 (Isleta)	1612 c. c. 1612	Church built between 1613 and 1617. Remodeled in 1910–1923 and again in 1962.
San Francisco de Nambé		Nambé Pueblo	1613	Church built c. 1617, destroyed in 1680, rebuilt 1725. Remodeled c. 1900 with a pitched roof which caused it to collapse around 1908. Third church built in 1910 and demolished in 1960. Current church built 1975.
San Jerónimo de Taos		Taos Pueblo	1617	Church built c. 1626. Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt c. 1706. Destroyed during the Taos Revolt in 1847. Current church built c. 1850 on a different site. Ruins of old church still exist.
San Ildefonso		San Ildefonso Pueblo	1617 c. c. 1617	Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt in 1711 on new site. Remodeled in 1905 and rebuilt in 1968.
San Lorenzo de Picurís		Picuris Pueblo	1620 c. c. 1620	Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt 1706, rebuilt again in the 1740s. Destroyed again in 1769 and rebuilt c. 1776. Remodeled c. 1900 and again in the 1960s.
San Gregorio de Abó		Near Mountainair 34°26′56″N 106°22′17″W / 34.44889°N 106.37139°W / 34.44889; -106.37139 (Abo)	1622	Built 1629–1644, abandoned by 1678. Ruins are part of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
San Estévan del Rey de Ácoma		Acoma Pueblo 34°53′42″N 107°34′57″W / 34.89500°N 107.58250°W / 34.89500; -107.58250 (Acoma)	1623	Church completed c. 1630. Damaged in 1680 and rebuilt in 1696–1700.
Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro		Socorro 34°3′37″N 106°53′38″W / 34.06028°N 106.89389°W / 34.06028; -106.89389 (Socorro)	1626	Destroyed in 1680. The present-day San Miguel Church was built on the same site in 1816–1821.
San Antonio de Padua de Senecú		Near Socorro, exact location unknown	1626	Pueblo and mission were abandoned in 1675.
Santa Clara		Santa Clara Pueblo	1626 c. c. 1626	Rebuilt c. 1758. Remodeled c. 1900 with a new roof which caused it to collapse in 1905. Rebuilt c. 1914 and remodeled in the 1960s.
Nuestra Señora de Purísima Concepción de Quarai		Near Mountainair 34°35′45″N 106°17′42″W / 34.59583°N 106.29500°W / 34.59583; -106.29500 (Quarai)	1627	Built 1627–1633, abandoned by 1677. Ruins are part of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
San Luis Obispo de Sevilleta		Near Socorro	1627	Later downgraded to a visita of Socorro. Abandoned in 1680.
La Purísima Concepcíón de Hawikuh		Near Zuni Pueblo 34°55′56″N 108°59′4.4″W / 34.93222°N 108.984556°W / 34.93222; -108.984556 (Hawikuh)	1628	Destroyed in 1680.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zuñi		Zuni Pueblo	1629	Damaged in 1680, rebuilt c. 1692.
San Ysidro and San Buenaventura de Humanas (Gran Quivira)		Near Mountainair	1629 c. c. 1629	San Ysidro chapel built c. 1629–1632, San Buenaventura built c. 1660s. Ruins are part of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
San Diego de Tesuque		Tesuque Pueblo	1629 c. late 1620s	Established as San Lorenzo. Destroyed in 1680, reestablished as San Diego in 1695. Church rebuilt c. 1706. Remodeled c. 1914.
San Buenaventura de Cochití		Cochiti Pueblo	1630 c. c. 1630	Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt c. 1706. Remodeled c. 1900 and in the 1960s.
Santa Ana		Santa Ana Pueblo	1693 c. c. 1693	Church built c. 1700. Current, larger church built 1734–1750.
San José de Laguna		Laguna Pueblo	1700 c. c. 1700	Still in use.
San Francisco de Asís		Ranchos de Taos 36°21′31″N 105°36′30″W / 36.35851388888889°N 105.60841388888889°W / 36.35851388888889; -105.60841388888889 (San Francisco de Asis)	1815 c. c. 1815

Noted churches that were not missions

• El Santuario de Chimayó - Site of an Easter pilgrimage by foot to this holy spot every year. Not a mission; founded c.1810 as a private chapel.
• San Francisco de Asís Mission Church - Church built between 1772 and 1816 and is located in the historic district of Ranchos de Taos.
• Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - Founded c. 1777; believed to be nation's oldest shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Not a mission.