Jesuits Whom Meet Their Doom

Three Catholic priests who joined the Jesuit missions in 16th century Paraguay met their doom in 1628 at the hands of native Americans in what is now the South American republic. The three Jesuit priests: Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz, Alonzo Rodriguez and Juan de Castillo, joined the missions called 'Reductions' since it was there that the missionaries 'reduced' or converted the locals to the Catholic religion. Part of the story of these Jesuit missions is depicted in the film The Mission.

Link (here) to the full article at Spero News

A Final Raid To Annihilate The Missions

There were now but six missions standing, the rest having been utterly destroyed with fire and sword, and nothing left except a few fugitives in the woods. Father Silveyra, who had 7,000 Indians at San Xavier before the last "maloca," saved 500 of his flock ; Father Juan Suarez de Toledo 400 from the survivors of San Jose, and with these two groups a new mission was established near Loretto. At that moment the Cacique Tayoba brought information to the Jesuits that the Pomberos or "pigeon trappers" (here) were preparing a final raid to annihilate the missions, and almost simultaneously Father Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (personally baptized 100,000 Indians) received letters from the superior, Father Francisco Vázquez Trujillo, ordering him in all haste to prepare a flotilla of boats, and remove what remained of the missions to some place of safety, at a distance from the Mamelucos.

It was not without a deep feeling of regret that Father Ruiz de Montoya saw himself compelled to abandon the missions, some of which were in a very prosperous condition. Loretto, now in its -twenty-first year, possessed a stately church, fine schools, valuable herds of cattle, and such extensive cotton-fields that it supplied this product to all the other missions. San Ignacio was hardly inferior in its buildings and agriculture. No sooner was the superior's order known, than Father Montoya set his carpenters and other artisans to work for the accomplishment of the great task before him. He first constructed 700 " balsas," or rafts, each being made of two canoes tied together, with a platform across. The next thing was to get together as large as possible a supply of provisions, besides which the Jesuits saved the sacred vessels of the churches. When all the survivors of the missions were embarked they were found to number 12,000 souls, each raft carrying about twenty persons, except those laden with effects. So convinced were the Jesuits that they should never again return to Loretto and San Ignacio, that they exhumed the bones of Father Martín Javier Urtazu and two other priests, which they took with them in their flight.

Link (here) to read the full account. 
Link (here) to the engraving San Ignacio Mini

Everything We Prune

CREATION OF THE PROVINCE
ARGENTINO-URUGUAYA


Day 30 of January of 2010,

the creation of the new one was carried out Jesuítica province “Argentinean-Uruguayan”. The same one is composed by old Provinces of Argentina and Uruguay. P. Provincial it is P. Alfonso Jose Go'mez SJ. In Encuentro that it gave rise to the creation of the new one Province, attended Jesuits of both countries.In addition, we counted on the presence of P. Echarte (Secretary of the Company of Jesus), like representative of P. General. We requested to them that they continue saying by the Jesuits of this new Province, so that in everything we pruned to love and to serve.

Link (here) to Student College Ignacianos

The Tañarandy Festival And The Jesuits Of Paraguay

ASUNCION – Some 15,000 handmade candles and lanterns illuminated the main Holy Week procession in Paraguay, an event that takes place annually in Tañarandy, a small town some 260 kilometers (160 miles) south of Asuncion.

The Tañarandy Festival, or “procession of lights,” reenacts the Stations of the Cross, with groups of uniformed men – known as “estacioneros” – carrying a cross and praying and singing mournful songs at each stop.

The procession, which marks the end of Good Friday observations in Paraguay and attracts hundreds of visitors and tourists, covers a stretch of three kilometers (1.85 miles) through town to a chapel.

The event, which begins annually in the wee hours of Friday morning, this year was notable because it coincided with the 400th anniversary of the founding of San Ignacio, the municipality where Tañarandy is located and the spot where the Jesuits built the first of their missions – small cities known as “reducciones” – in 1610.

For the occasion, more than 100 young people performed a reenactment of the founding of the mission and showed how the Jesuits coexisted with the local Indian population of the region.

The event featured a baroque harp concert and a dance performance put on by the local ballet, while a replica of the main altar of the region’s oldest church was among the props.

In another of Friday’s celebrations, the residents of the village of Remanso, near Asuncion, gathered again this year at daybreak along the banks of the Paraguay River for a “purification” (?) ritual.

One participant, Diego Figueredo, said that he attended this year with his two daughters and his wife to immerse himself in the waters of the Paraguay and receive a blessing from a priest, a ritual mainly practiced by area fishermen.

Good Friday is commemorated with fasting and comes a day after Paraguayans mark the Last Supper with a feast that typically consists of roasted meat and abundant quantities of chipa, a popular local bread made with manioc or corn flour.

The streets of Asuncion, meanwhile, have been practically deserted over the past few days and most shopping centers closed, since in the days prior to Good Friday many residents of the capital travel to the interior of the country to visit family members.

The Jesuit Missions Districts Of Paraguay

There were 30 Jesuit compounds back in the day, in the Missions Districts of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The one we saw was one of the largest, it held 5000 people once upon a time. The compounds were built to protect the natives from the Portugese slave traders who would come in and kidnap the natives and take them to Europe as slaves. Or perhaps they were built to evangelize the natives. Or perhaps the Jesuit priests enslaved the natives (an unlikely theory since there were only 2 priests and 4998 natives). These are the theories.

The ruins are beautiful, but not as well taken care of as one would hope. The times I have been there, the guides have been knowledgable and friendly. We payed Gs 5000 a person to get in (approximately $1.00) and gave the guide a tip of less than $10.00 for over an hour of tour.

Link to Brenda's blog of Paraguay (here)