Mariano Payéras
Encyclopedia
Father Mariano Payéras was a Spanish
missionary
to the Americas.
He was born at Inca
on the Island of Majorca and joined the Franciscan
order. He received the habit of St. Francis at Palma on September 5, 1784, and left Spain
in February of 1793 to attend the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico
, which trained missionaries for the work among the indigenous populations. Once there, he worked at the following missions:
When Father Tápis
retired in 1812, Father Payéras was elected Father-President of the California mission chain
, holding the office from July, 1815 to April, 1820. During his tenure, Father Tápis directed the founding of Mission San Antonio de Pala
(Pala Asistencia) in 1816, Mission San Rafael Arcángel
in 1817, Santa Ysabel Asistencia
in 1818, and the San Bernardino Asistencia
, founded in 1819. During the same period, Father Payéras held the office of vicario foraneo of the Bishop of Sonora
, to whose jurisdiction California belonged. In 1819 the College of San Fernando elected him Comisario-Prefecto of the missions, in which capacity he, at various times, visited the twenty missions then existing from San Diego to San Rafael
, a distance of more than six hundred miles.
The zealous prelate also headed various expeditions to the territory of the savages for the purpose of finding suitable sites for new missions. Six months before his death he accompanied an expedition to the Russia
n settlements in the wilds of Sonoma County, and thereby most probably hastened his demise. In 1819, Father Payéras received the thanks of the King of Spain for his services during the Bouchard
revolt. While in charge of Mission La Purísima Concepción he compiled a catechism in the language of the Indians, which was put to use but never published. "There was no friar of better and more evenly balanced ability," says American historian and ethnologist Hubert Howe Bancroft
. "It was impossible to quarrel with him. He had extraordinary business ability, was a clear and forcible, as well as voluminous writer, and withal a man of great strength of mind and firmness of character."
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the Americas.
He was born at Inca
Inca, Spain
Inca is a town on the Spanish island of Majorca. The population of the municipality is 25,900 in an area of 58.4 km².There is a junction station Majorca rail network with trains to Palma, the island's capital, to Sa Pobla, and to Manacor....
on the Island of Majorca and joined the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
order. He received the habit of St. Francis at Palma on September 5, 1784, and left Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in February of 1793 to attend the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico
College of San Fernando de Mexico
The College of San Fernando de Mexico was a Roman Catholic Franciscan missionary college, or seminary , founded in Mexico City by the Order of Friars Minor on October 15, 1734...
, which trained missionaries for the work among the indigenous populations. Once there, he worked at the following missions:
- Mission San Carlos Borromeo de CarmeloMission San Carlos Borromeo de CarmeloMission San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo, also known as the Carmel Mission, is a Roman Catholic mission church in Carmel, California. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and a U.S...
(1796–1798) - Mission Nuestra Señora de la SoledadMission Nuestra Señora de la SoledadMission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is in the Salinas Valley near Soledad, in central Monterey County, California. The mission was founded on October 9, 1791 for the increasing settlement of upper Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and for the Indian Reductions to convert...
(1798–1803) - Mission San Diego de AlcaláMission San Diego de AlcaláMission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
(1803–1804) - Mission La Purísima ConcepciónMission La Purísima ConcepciónMission La Purisima Concepción, or La Purisima Mission, with the original Spanish name being La Misión de La Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María, was founded on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin on December 8, 1787...
(1804–1823)
When Father Tápis
Pedro Estévan Tápis
Father Pedro Estévan Tápis was a Spanish missionary to the Americas.He was born at Santa Coloma de Farnes in Catalonia, Spain and joined the Franciscan order at Genoa on 22 January 1778...
retired in 1812, Father Payéras was elected Father-President of the California mission chain
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
, holding the office from July, 1815 to April, 1820. During his tenure, Father Tápis directed the founding of Mission San Antonio de Pala
Mission San Antonio de Pala
The San Antonio de Pala Asistencia, or the "Pala Mission", was founded on June 13, 1816 as an asistencia to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, some twenty miles inland upstream from the mission on the San Luis Rey River. It was part of the Spanish missions, asistencias, and estancias system in Las...
(Pala Asistencia) in 1816, Mission San Rafael Arcángel
Mission San Rafael Arcángel
Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded in 1817 as a medical asistencia of the Mission San Francisco de Asís as a hospital to treat sick Native Americans of the Bay Area, making it Alta California's first sanitarium. The weather was much better in the North Bay than in San Francisco, and helped...
in 1817, Santa Ysabel Asistencia
Santa Ysabel Asistencia
The Santa Ysabel Asistencia was founded on September 20, 1818 at Cañada de Santa Ysabel in the mountains east of San Diego , as a "sub-mission" to Mission San Diego de Alcalá, and to serve as a rest stop for those travelling between San Diego and Sonora...
in 1818, and the San Bernardino Asistencia
San Bernardino Asistencia
The San Bernardino de Sena Estancia was established in 1819 as a ranch outpost of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in Redlands, California. It was built to graze cattle...
, founded in 1819. During the same period, Father Payéras held the office of vicario foraneo of the Bishop of Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, to whose jurisdiction California belonged. In 1819 the College of San Fernando elected him Comisario-Prefecto of the missions, in which capacity he, at various times, visited the twenty missions then existing from San Diego to San Rafael
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, a distance of more than six hundred miles.
The zealous prelate also headed various expeditions to the territory of the savages for the purpose of finding suitable sites for new missions. Six months before his death he accompanied an expedition to the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n settlements in the wilds of Sonoma County, and thereby most probably hastened his demise. In 1819, Father Payéras received the thanks of the King of Spain for his services during the Bouchard
Hippolyte de Bouchard
Hippolyte de Bouchard, or Hipólito de Bouchard , was a French and Argentine sailor and corsair who fought for Argentina, Chile, and Peru....
revolt. While in charge of Mission La Purísima Concepción he compiled a catechism in the language of the Indians, which was put to use but never published. "There was no friar of better and more evenly balanced ability," says American historian and ethnologist Hubert Howe Bancroft
Hubert Howe Bancroft
Hubert Howe Bancroft was an American historian and ethnologist who wrote and published works concerning the western United States, Texas, Mexico, Central America, British Columbia and Alaska.-Biography:...
. "It was impossible to quarrel with him. He had extraordinary business ability, was a clear and forcible, as well as voluminous writer, and withal a man of great strength of mind and firmness of character."