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 (New Spain, consisting of what is today Mexico, the Southwestern United States, the Florida and the Luisiana, Central America, the Spanish Caribbean and the Philippines) 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
Baja California
Coahuila Mission San Francisco Solano Mission San Juan Bautista Mission Dulce Nombre de Jesus de Peyotes in Villa Union Mission San Andrés de Nava Mission San Buenaventura de la Consolación Mission Nuestra Señora de Dolores de la Punta in Lampazos Mission San Bernardino de la Candela Mission San Buenaventura in Cuatrocienegas Mission Santa Rosa de Nadadores Mission San Francisco de Saltillo Mission San Miguel de Aguayo in Monclova
Nuevo León
Nuevo Santander
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 , each of which in turn contained several pueblos, or .
Xiximes
First district: San Pablo Hetasi San Pedro de Guarizame Santa Lucia Second district: Santa Cruz de Yamoriba San Bartolomé de Humase Third district: Santa Apolonia Concepcion Santiago el Nuevo Fourth district: San Ignacio San Gerónimo Adia (or Ahoya) San Juan San Francisco Cababayan (or Cabazan) San Agustin
San Andrés
First district: San Ignacio de Otatitlán Piaba Alaya Quejupa Second district: San Ildefonso de los Remedios Santa Catalina Third district: San Gregorio Sojbupa San Pedro San Mateo de Tecayas Fourth district: Santa María de Otáez Santiago Batzotzi
Santa Cruz de Topia
First district: San Juan de Badiraguato Reyes de Conimeto Santa Cruz San Francisco Alicamae Second district: San Martin Atotonilco Santiago Merirato San Ignacio Coriatapa San Pedro Guatenipa San Ignacio Bamupa San Luis Soyatlán Nabogame (or Saboguame) Third district: San Ignacio de Tamazula San Martin Atotonilco San Ignacio Atotonilco San Joaquin Chapotlan San José Canelas
Parras, the eastern province of Nueva Vizcaya, contained six major missions with their , as follows.
Santa María de Parras
el Pozo La Peña Santa Barbara
San Pedro y San Pablo de Laguna
Concepcion
San Lorenzo
Horno Santa Ana
San Sebastian
San Geronimo
San Ignacio
San Juan de Casta
Santiago
San José de las Abas Baicuco
Mission San Pablo Tepehuanes had the following and :
First district: Santiago Papasquiaro San Andrés Atotonilco San Nicolás
Second district: Santa Catalina Tepehuanes
Third district: San Ignacio del ZapeLater Nuestra Señora del Zape. San SimonAlso called Potrero; later San José
Fourth district: San José Tizonazo Santa Cruz
Other missions in Nueva Vizcaya included: Mission San Jeronimo, in Aldama Mission Santa Rosalía in Camargo Mission San Francisco de Conchos Mission San Ignacio de Cariatapa Mission San Gregorio de la Sierra
Sonora y Sinaloa
Mission La Purísima Concepción de Caborca Mission San Antonio de Oquitoa Mission San Diagos de Pitiquito Mission San Ignacio de Cabórica Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama Mission Santa María Magdalena Mission Santa Teresa de Atil Mission Santiago y Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Cocóspera Mission San Miguel de Ures
Other Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl Mendicant monasteries in Mexico
See also Jesuit Asia missions Jesuit Reductions List of the oldest churches in Mexico Reductions Supply of Franciscan missions in New Mexico
References
External links Mexico's colonial era — Part II: Religion & Society in New Spain Mission Churches of the Sonoran Desert