The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 25, July 1921 - April, 1922 Page: 180
306 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
December 31, 1791, the viceroy gave his assent to the plan, in-
structing Garza directly to construct the necessary buildings and
to provide the customary ornaments and supplies for divine
service.'"
More than a year was to pass, however, before the necessary
funds and supplies, insignificant as they were, could be made
available. In the meantime Father Silva, in Mexico, was doing
everything possible to hasten the actual execution of his project.
In a long letter to the viceroy, dated March 10, 1792, and writ-
ten before he had been informed of the success of Garza's peti-
tion, the Prefect had set forth a number of reasons why a mis-
sion should be founded at the place called Refugio, and also re-
vealed his ambitious plan for the evangelization of the whole
coast line of Texas.
The building of a mission at the confluence of the San Antonio
and Guadalupe Rivers, Silva said, would open up water com-
munication between Matagorda Bay and Espiritu Santo, as well
as with more inland points in the province. With such a mission
to supplement the work of the re-established mission of Rosario,
the coast region would be protected as far north as the Colorado
River. The work of conversion and pacification would then be
facilitated among other branches of the Karankawan group, as
well as among the Orkokisac, the Tawakana, the Tawash, and
the Comanche. Father Silva also suggested measures whereby
the necessary funds could be raised. He recommended the secu-
larization of the missions of San Antonio de Valero and of Nacog-
doches, and the consolidation of four of the missions at San An-
tonio into two. With the economies resulting from these changes,
money would be available for Refugio without extra expense to
the royal treasury.'
The raising of these various questions delayed the actual found-
ing of Nuestra Sefiora del Refugio until reports could be received
from the provincial officials in Texas. All of Father Garza's
recommendations were approved except that which concerned the
secularization of Nacogdoches mission. To this step the acting
"Silva to the viceroy, March 10, 1792; Munioz to Nava, January 26,
1795 (Guadalajara, 104-1-1); Mufioz to the viceroy, February 27, 1792
(Nacogdoches Archives, No. 81, Texas State Library).
"Guadalajara, 104-1-1, pp. 12-17.180
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 25, July 1921 - April, 1922, periodical, 1922; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101082/m1/186/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.