Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña

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Texas Independent Bar Association
Austin, Texas 78767
Copyright © 2013 Texas Independent Bar Association and the following Commentators
Alan Curry
Helena Faulkner
Lee Haidusek
John G. Jasuta
Louis Lopez, Jr.
Charles Mallin
Gail Kikawa McConnell
Angela J. Moore
Doug O’Brien
Greg Sherwood
David A. Schulman
Kevin P. Yeary
Editor-in-Chief: John G. Jasuta
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Volume 22, Number 7 ~ Monday, February 17, 2014 (No. 999)
Texas Photo Pictorial
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Photos by Trina DeConcini
From Las Misinoes
Old Spanish Missions of the Archdiocese of San Antonio
A joint partnership with the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior
The Old Spanish Missions of San Antonio are a chain of five colonial era compounds
located in a southern line from the center of downtown San Antonio to the southern edge of the
city. They were established in the 18th Century as an outreach of the Spanish Government and
the Catholic Church. The Franciscan Fathers founded each mission to evangelize the regional
natives, teach them skills to help them adopt to Spanish ways, and minister to their needs.
Additionally, the effort was to make them active citizens of the Spanish province of Tejas.
Military forces were often located in the vicinity of each mission to offer protection.
Click on Any of the Photographs in this Pictorial to View the Full Sized Image
TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 22, No. 7 - February 17, 2014 - Page 1
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña
Four of the five original missions still function as active Catholic parish Churches. They
serve both a stable population of parish members as well as many visitors who attend worship
services. These are Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada. They are operated by the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio as the Old Spanish Missions, Inc., an umbrella
non-profit organization to provide for their care. The Archbishop of San Antonio appoints the
Director of the Old Spanish Missions, who is responsible for the maintenance and restoration
of the mission churches.
TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 22, No. 7 - February 17, 2014 - Page 2
San Antonio de Valero, known as the Alamo, is
owned by the State of Texas and operated by the
Daughters of the Republic of Texas. It does not
function as an active parish church and is not part of
the Old Spanish Missions, Inc.
Today the National Park Service operates the San
Antonio
Missions
National
Historical
Park
in
collaboration with the Archdiocese. The Park Service is
responsible for all the secular elements of the four
compounds, including buildings, landscape and visitor
centers. The Archdiocese continues to care solely for the
church buildings.
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña
Founded by Franciscan friars, this is the best preserved of the Texas missions. It was
established in 1716 as Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainais in East Texas.
Originally meant to be a base for converting the Hasinai, a large confederation of
Caddo-speaking Native Americans located between the Sabine and Trinity rivers in eastern
Texas, the mission was moved in 1731 to San Antonio. After its relocation most of the people
in the mission were Pajalats, a Native American group who lived near San Antonio.
TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 22, No. 7 - February 17, 2014 - Page 3
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña
Trina DeConcini is
a nurse and freelance photographer
who lives in Austin.
See Trina’s work on
her Facebook page.
TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 22, No. 7 - February 17, 2014 - Page 4