DESTINATION
MISSIONS OF SPIRITUALITY & CONVERSION San Antonio ’ s awe-inspiring sanctuaries reveal early Spanish influence
The Alamo
Mission Concepción
Mission San Juan
Mission Espada
FLICKR / KEN LUND FLICKR / TRAVELINGOTTER FLICKR / ERIC TITCOMBE FLICKR / JASON HLAVENKA
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park encompasses four 18thcentury places of worship set along an eight-mile stretch of the San Antonio River in south-central Texas . The site , which officially opened in 1983 , includes the Concepción , San José , San Juan and Espada missions , but it ’ s the fifth of the city ’ s historical structures , Mission San Antonio de Valero , or famously known as The Alamo , that ’ s most recognized in legend and lore .
The Spaniards had three goals in mind when they built these missions , now a UNESCO World Heritage Site , one of only 22 in the United States : 1 ) converting the native people to Catholicism , 2 ) building a colony for Spain and 3 ) defending this new colony against the French and others . Converting the natives to Christianity was about much more than just religion for the Spanish colonists ; it was a step in the process of making them Spanish citizens and thus , building the Spanish colony . Other steps in the process included training the natives in Spanish civil government and learning trades such as farming , weaving , blacksmithing and masonry to provide the economic means to sustain the mission .
Integrating the native population into the Spanish colonies was no easy task . First , the Spanish were recruiting native people from various tribes in the region , each with its own customs and language . The Franciscan monks tasked with converting the natives to Catholicism dealt with a huge language barrier as they attempted to communicate with people who spoke Aranama , Cotonama , Coahuilteco , Caddo , Karankawa and other native tongues that are now lost and unknown . And although the natives living in the San Antonio missions were open to Christianity and thankful for the protection offered with mission life , they often fell victim to the diseases brought by the Europeans . Despite the Spaniards ’ best effort to grow in numbers , European disease caused a steady decline in the native populations .
Today , the San Antonio Missions represent the nation ’ s largest intact collection of Spanish Colonial buildings . The mission churches boast designs in the Romanesque , Moorish and Spanish baroque styles and date back as early as 1716 and all still function today as Catholic parishes . Visitors can join a park ranger or volunteer for free guided tours of the four missions that encompass the historical site park . Along the way they learn more about the 18th-century Spanish Colonial period and discover the importance of this critical part of American history .
The Alamo : The most famous of the missions was founded in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero . Like the other missions in the area , the Alamo included workshops for daily trades , living quarters for natives and Spaniards , a granary , church and farmland . The design elements include flowers , pomegranates and geometric patterns as well as frescoes decorating the church walls .
The fame of the Alamo doesn ’ t originate from its mission days but from its post-mission history when it served as a military outpost . During Texas ’ war for independence from Mexico in 1836 , a small group of Texas soldiers defended the fortification against a much larger Mexican army for 13 days . Although ultimately defeated by President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna , the brave volunteer soldiers who fought so fearlessly during the Battle of the Alamo became known as symbols of heroism , resistance to oppression
8 routes of faith