The five San Antonio Missions make up some of the most beautiful historic structures and locations in Texas. They are spaced over approximately eight miles along the San Antonio River running southward from the one we know as the Alamo. The local missions were built by Spain, part of an array of missions that stretched from Florida to California. Two of the primary purposes the missions served were to help spread Catholicism and to encourage expansion and settlements across its colonial territories. The Spanish also hoped that settlements on the border of land held by the French might help stabilize its holdings.
Between 1680 and 1793 some thirty-six missions were founded in Texas. They designed to evangelize the mostly Native American population at the time, with a goal of making them Christians and Spanish citizens. Under Spanish law, they had a nominal mandate of ten years to do this. Not unexpectedly, the process proved to be difficult.
The San Antonio missions were founded over a 20 to 30 year period beginning around 1718 to minister to nearby tribes. The first was Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo, established in 1718 followed by San José y San Miguel de Aguayo founded in 1720. The last three missions were relocated around 1731 from the frontier of Spanish East Texas. It was the frontier between Spanish lands and French Louisiana at a time of unrest between the two nations. The three last missions were Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña, San Juan Capistrano and San Francisco de Espada. The missions were in operation for many years but by 1824 they had been closed. Their churches had been transferred to area Catholic leadership.
Each mission had a similar layout that would typically include a central square surrounded by stone walls. Construction would be arranged so that the missions opened into a plaza area. Also included was a convento or monastery which served as a dwelling for the friars, housing for Native American residents, other necessary buildings. Included in the design were sections that could be used for the defense of the compound when necessary. The missions had been organized in an effort to minister to the various local tribes, the smaller ones. Often mentioned for carrying out raids on the other tribes and Spanish residents were the larger Comanche and Apache tribes.
Early days of each mission (mission photos are our own):
Mission San Antonio de Valero (Mission San Antonio, the Alamo):
The better known of the group, Mission San Antonio was a successor to an earlier mission across the river from today’s Eagle Pass known as Mission San Francisco Solano. The earlier mission had struggled. Father Antonio Olivares had considered the San Antonio area as a likely site for his mission. At its first location, he renamed the mission, adding de Valero to honor the Spanish viceroy who had approved the relocation. A presidio was planned nearby. It was to be named in honor of the Duke of Bexar, the brother of the current viceroy. The mission was moved once more, this time to its permanent location. Construction began around 1744. The mission church was never completed during the days it was active. Most accounts note that during its construction, two interior columns collapsed at some point. Work on its roof was not resumed. Before 1800 the mission was secularized. From that time on the mission changed hands several times until the events of the Texas Revolution. Its current front view is different from earlier sketches. The now familiar profile with the raised section above the doors was done when it was added by the United States Army during the Mexican-American War. Prior to that time, the front view was more boxy and square.
San José y San Miguel de Aguayo (Mission San Jose):
San Jose was founded by Antonio Margil de Jesus, a Franciscan pioneer who had previously lived in Central America, Mexico and more recently in East Texas. He had served at Mission San Antonio for a year and a half and petitioned Spanish authorities to sanction another mission. His request was granted and a ceremony was held in early 1720 to commemorate the opening of the mission. Father Margil appended Aguayo to the name in honor of the governor who had approved the mission. San Jose was moved twice before the permanent structure was built at its current location. Reasons for the move included getting further set back from the river and taking advantage of a small rise in the elevation. Like the other missions, this one had a remotely located rancho where its herds of sheep, goats and cattle were maintained.
The mission church was begun in 1758 and was completed in 1782. The walls are made of locally quarried limestone, plastered to help weather the elements. Wood was scarce and was typically used for doors, interior panelling, stairs and the like.
Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña (Mission Concepcion):
The original mission was founded in 1716 by Franciscan father Isidro Felix de Espinsoa in East Texas west of what is now Nacogdoches in the valley of the Angelina River. It suffered at that location from drought and a lack of supplies leading to famine conditions. Also noted are at least one fatal epidemic outbreak and conflicts with the French who controlled the land immediately to the east. All of this combined to lead the Spanish to abandon the area for the better established and defended San Antonio area, after temporarily locating on the Colorado River. The mission was reestablished in the east side of the San Antonio River in early March, 1731. Its location was between Mission San Antonio and Mission San Jose. Construction of the permanent buildings began a few years later, using limestone quarried nearby. Its mission church was completed and dedicated in December, 1755. It had a remote rancho where its livestock herds were housed, vulnerable to attacks from raiding tribes.
San Juan Capistrano (Mission San Juan):
Mission San Juan began as Mission San Jose de los Nazonis founded in 1716 to minister to the Nazoni and Nadaco tribes north of current Nacogdoches. Within three years, that location was abandoned and moved to another location before briefly locating near what is now Austin in 1730 and on to San Antonio one year later. San Jose was already established there, so it was renamed in honor of a recently sainted Italian cleric and theologian from the 1400s, John of Capistrano. The basic structure of the mission chapel was completed around 1750.
San Francisco de Espada (Mission Espada):
Mission Espada is the furthest south of the structures. It too was originally located near what is now Nacogdoches as Mission San Francisco de Los Tejas and was founded in 1690. Its first location was abandoned for a few years before being established at another location about ten miles distant. That location bore another name, though still including the words San Francisco. Conflicts with the French led to its relocation in succession to near the Nueces River, then on to the Colorado River and finally to San Antonio in March of 1731. The addition of Espada to its name occurred around the time of the move to San Antonio. The word refers to sword or blade, but the reason for appending it to the name of the mission is unknown.
By 1824, when Mexico gained its independence from Spain, all five missions had been secularized. In 1841, the Republic of Texas conveyed title and ownership of the mission churches back to the Catholic Church. By the time of the Texas Centennial, they were still standing but had fallen into disrepair. Still they attracted visitors because of their beauty and unique construction. In 1983 the National Park Service established the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The four lower mission churches now operate as parish churches under the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Sources include these books:
Lewis F. Fisher, “The Spanish Missions of San Antonio,” Maverick Publishing Company, 1998
Mary Ann Noonan Guerra, “The Missions of San Antonio,” The Alamo Press, 1982
