The Mission San Jose

June 29


When Spanish rulers decided to go north from Mexico to explore the land, seeking for gold and riches, they eventually got into the San Antonio area. Where ever the Spanish arrived, Monks followed and started to build missions for converting the Native population into true believers. Missions were built many places in Texas and southern Arizona.
En route to Port Aransas, we stopped in San Antonio to "take in" the city. San Antonio has several Missions from those long-gone days.





The Mission San Jose is another example for buildings done by the Spanish Monks. The physical work, however, was performed by the native Americans. It was the goal of the Spanish empire to convert the Indians to the catholic faith making them to obeying Spanish citizens of NEW SPAIN as the country was called at the time.

 The transformation from hunters and gatherers to hard working farmers proved not to be easy. The Mission housed a varying number of Indians.  Even though many Indians learned to farm, over 70% of them died as a result of diseases incubated by Europeans before traveling to America. The first American cowboys were actually Indians called Vaqueros.

The Mission San Jose was not the only one in this area. Around San Antonio are four other Missions. The buildings were erected to secure the land for New Spain.