San Antonio, Texas
After a very lazy morning we headed out to
the San Antonio Missions. We followed
the Mission Trail to visit all four missions that comprise the San Antonio
Missions. The main focus of the missions
was to spread the Catholic faith to the Indian natives.
Mission San Jose: This mission was a major
social center.
It is called the Queen of
the Missions due to the size of the complex.
The central layout of the mission compound shows how important the
community life was.
The massive stone
walls were for defense.
The residents
learned how to use firearms to ward off Comanche and Apache raids.
We were lucky enough to catch the last song performed by this band.
Video of Fiesta Singers
Grist Mill
The Granary was a warehouse and surplus storage.
Mission Concepcion: This mission has
endured time and elements for 250 years.
It is one of the oldest stone churches.
What a sad commentary.
The San Antonio Missions are part of the National Park Service so I was able to stamp my passport at each mission.
Kneeling at this altar brought back memories of my Catholic school days.
Mission San Juan: This missions’ fertile
farmland and pastures made it a regional supplier of produce.
Beyond the walls the inhabitants grew
peaches, melons, pumpkins, grapes and peppers.
Love is in the air!
Mission Espada: To develop a solid economy,
missionaries taught the mission Indians skills such as cloth weaving,
blacksmithing, carpentry and masonry.
Everything is big in Texas, including the ants.
We had a very nice day touring the four missions and were really happy that they were open. If we had come to San Antonio last week during the Government shut-down we would have missed out on experiencing these historical sites.
No comments:
Post a Comment