# Spanish missions in New Mexico

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 | Location | Established | Notes |
| Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Porciúncula | 35.54999, -105.68916 | 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 | 35.50651, -106.72185 | 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 | 36.05417, -106.07169 | 1598 | Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt c. 1706. Replaced with a new Gothic-style church in 1913. |
| San José de los Jémez | 35.7785, -106.6866 | c. 1600 | Church completed between 1625 and 1628, abandoned c. 1630. Ruins are now part of Jemez Historic Site. |
| San Felipe | 35.43317, -106.44667 | 1605 | Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt on a new site in 1706. Remodeled c. 1801. |
| Santo Domingo | 35.5134, -106.36192 | 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 | 35.25413, -106.57088 | 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 | 35.39537, -105.947 | c. 1610 | Abandoned in 1680, reestablished in 1706 by Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, abandoned again in the 1780s. The current church is a reconstruction from 1884. |
| San Marcos | Pueblo San Marcos, Galisteo Basin | c. 1610 | Abandoned in 1680. |
| San Miguel | 35.6835, -105.93769 | c. 1610 | Built c. 1610, partly destroyed in 1680, rebuilt 1710. |
| San Agustín de la Isleta | 34.90897, -106.69333 | 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 | 36.43907, -105.54668 (ruins of old church), 36.43848, -105.54599 (current church) | 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 | 35.89355, -106.11984 | c. 1617 | Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt in 1711 on new site. Remodeled in 1905 and rebuilt in 1968. |
| San Lorenzo de Picurís | 36.20067, -105.70951 | 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 | 34.45035, -106.37549 | 1622 | Built 1629–1644, abandoned by 1678. Ruins are part of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. |
| San Estévan del Rey de Ácoma | 34.89529, -107.5825 | 1623 | Church completed c. 1630. Damaged in 1680 and rebuilt in 1696–1700. |
| Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro | 34.06042, -106.89376 | 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 | 1626 | Pueblo and mission were abandoned in 1675. |
| Nuestra Señora de Purísima Concepción de Quarai | 34.59609, -106.29599 | 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 | 34.93222, -108.98455 | 1628 | Destroyed in 1680. |
| Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zuñi | 35.06776, -108.84961 | 1629 | Damaged in 1680, rebuilt c. 1692. |
| San Ysidro and San Buenaventura de Humanas (Gran Quivira) | 34.25962, -106.09232 | c. 1629 | San Buenaventura originally served San Gregorio de Abó. 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 | 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 | 35.60813, -106.34589 | c. 1630 | Destroyed in 1680, rebuilt c. 1706. Remodeled c. 1900 and in the 1960s. |
| Santa Ana | Santa Ana Pueblo | c. 1693 | Church built c. 1700. Current, larger church built 1734–1750. |
| San José de Laguna | 35.03468, -107.38845 | c. 1700 | Still in use. |
| San Francisco de Asís | 36.35845, -105.60837 | c. 1815 | Church built between 1772 and 1816 and is located in the historic district of Ranchos de Taos. |

## 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.
* 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.