Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-08-01
EARLY FRANCISCAN MISSIONS
IN THIS COUNRY.

lations" are the main source of the early
history Of the interior Of this continent
1t is also known that the jealousy which
existed between the Jesuits and some of
the other Orders of the Papal Church,
brought confusion into the early records,
and to this day, an obscurity rests upon
certain points on account of it. This
obscurity the United States Government
has. endeavorcd to remove, by authoriz-
ing the publication Of the Margry papers.
The publication of these papers has
proved agreeable to the admirers of La
Sale, but disagreeable TO those who do
not acknowledge his merits or admire
his exploits. There is secret history
of those days which has never been writ
ten, and which may never be written.
1t is possible, however, that by exami-
ming the records Of the other Orders, be-
sides those of the Jesuits, that much
light will be thrown upon this epoch.
Mr.. Shea is not an admirer of LaSalle,
but he knows that there is a history
which is not contained IN the Jesuit
Relations The Recollec,S were the
missionaries who attended IaSalie on his
Western exploration. Gabriel, Hcnne-
pin, Zenobius, Melithon, were named to
attend him and to become chaplains al
the posts he might establish. Hennepin
assembled the Mississippi and discovered
the Falls Of St. Anthony Gabriel fell
victim to the Kickapoos ; Zenobius per-
ished by Indian hands in Texas, but
Father Douay was spared to chronicle
the fate of "unwise' LaSalle. 1t ap-
pears from this article, that the Francis
cans had Missions in many parts of the
continent. Their history opens with the
expedition Of Narvaez 10 Florida, IN
1927. The narrative Of Cabeza de Vaca,
concerning his long wanderirgs across
the continent, aroused the Franciscans,
and we find that in 1889, the Friar
Mark, from Nice, and Friar Honorats,
set out from San Miguel in 1889, and
reached Cibola in New Mexico, and there
visited the Mexican towns, with their Gu
rious houses, and their strange people.
The Dominicans labored on the shores OF
the Chesapeake, and the Jesuits announ-
ced the faith from the Rappahannock
and Cape Sable, but they soon deserted
this field, and continued their labors on
the st. Lawrence and along the chain
of the great lakes, while the Franciscans
kept on with their work, Notwithstanding
the frequent martyrdom Of their mission
aries Florida being the chief field In
1890, body Of twelve missionaries;
established themselves here, and in 1912,
Florida was formed into province of the
order. They also gained permanent
foot t.hold in New Mexico.
In 1895, eight Franciscan Missiona-
ries entered this field, and Father Mar
tinez became the founder of the missions
in New Mexico. In 1880, the Francis
cans report $4,000 as having been bap.
tized. The Pecos were all converted,
this author says. The Pecuries were al
so at last overcome by the patience, hu-
mility and unfagging zeal of the Fran
ciscans. The Taos clung to their poly
gamy, but at last, after an old hag, who
as a witch, exercised great influence, had
died from stroke Of lightning, they al
so yielded, and Acoma and Zuni, who
had long been under the slavery of the
Medicine men, became converts. The
truth was preached to the Moquis, and
the wandering tribes Of the Apaches.
The Franciscans reduced the languages
of Florida and New Mexico, to rule and
system, and were training Indian chill
dren to read and write, before the settlers
of Virginia and New England had ac-
quired any insight into the languages of
the red men in their colonies. The Rec
elects of Aquitaine assumed, in 1919,
the charge of missions on the Accadian
coast, but the Franciscan Order also had
missions on the sea coast, now claimed
by Maine, New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia. The Franciscans also began
their labor in the Province of Que
bee, as early as 1915. The first Mass
offered at Quebec, Tadousac, Three Riv-
ers, Sault st. Louis, as we'll as in Upper
Canada, was offered by these Franciscans.
They were however supplanted in Cana
da by the Jesuits, and did not gain a
foot-hold there until 1872. The Fran
ciscans had chaplains on Lake Cham
plain, at Niagara, at Fit. Duquesne, now
Pitt sburg, and at Detroit, and one Faith
er Emmanuel Grespel records in pages o.
deep interest, his labors in Wisconsin.
The Franciscan Missions in Florida were
pushed "until the whole of the Apala.
ches were gathered into the fold," bu