Spanish missions in Mexico


The Spanish missions in Mexico are a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Franciscans, Jesuits, Augustinians, and Dominicans to spread the Christian doctrine among the local natives. Since 1493, the Kingdom of Spain had maintained a number of missions throughout Nueva España in order to preach the gospel to these lands. In 1533, at the request of Hernán Cortés, Carlos V sent the first Franciscan friars with orders to establish a series of installations throughout the country.

Missions

[Coahuila]

Nueva Vizcaya">Nueva Vizcaya, New Spain">Nueva Vizcaya

Topia, the western province of Nueva Vizcaya, contained three major missions: Xiximes, San Andrés, and Santa Cruz de Topia. These were each subdivided into several districts, or partidos, each of which in turn contained several pueblos, or visitas.

Xiximes

First district:
  • San Pablo Hetasi
  • San Pedro de Guarizame
  • Santa Lucia
Second district:
  • Santa Cruz de Yamoriba
  • San Bartolomé de Humase
Third district:
Fourth district:
  • San Ignacio
  • San Gerónimo Adia
  • San Juan
  • San Francisco Cababayan
  • San Agustin

San Andrés

First district:
Second district:
  • San Ildefonso de los Remedios
  • Santa Catalina
Third district:
  • San Gregorio
  • Sojbupa
  • San Pedro
  • San Mateo de Tecayas
Fourth district:

Santa Cruz de Topia

First district:
Second district:
Third district:
Parras, the eastern province of Nueva Vizcaya, contained six major missions with their visitas, as follows.

Santa María de Parras

  • el Pozo
  • La Peña
  • Santa Barbara

San Pedro y San Pablo de Laguna

  • Concepcion

San Lorenzo

San Sebastian

San Ignacio

  • San Juan de Casta

Santiago

  • San José de las Abas
  • Baicuco
Mission San Pablo Tepehuanes had the following partidos and visitas:
First district:
  • Santiago Papasquiaro
  • San Andrés Atotonilco
  • San Nicolás
Second district:
  • Santa Catalina
  • Tepehuanes presidio
Third district:
Fourth district:
  • San José Tizonazo
  • Santa Cruz
Other missions in Nueva Vizcaya included:

[Sonora y Sinaloa]

Other