by Texas
'But you did allow the dancing?' the judge asked.
'I did. I worked my Indians from dawn to dusk, and I thank God that Brother Domingo taught them to sing, for it made them better workers in God's cause.'
'Were you not ordered by the civil authority to stop the dancing?'
'I was. And I did.'
'But was there not continued dancing at the mission's ranch?'
'I'm told there was.'
'And did not your Fray Domingo join in the dancing?'
Tm told that he did.'
'Are you not responsible for what your friars do?'
Fray Damian considered this probing question for some moments, standing erect, his eyes staring straight ahead, his hands clasped at his chest. It would be both easy and correct for him to claim that what happened at the distant ranch was beyond his control, but to deny his long-time companion would be worse than craven, it would be against the rule of the Franciscans.
'I'm responsible.'
if I were a vengeful man,' the priest said, 'I would add you to this indictment. You have failed miserably in your duty.'
i demand that you include me,' Damian said, and he took a step forward.
'Stand where you are!' the inquisitor ordered, his face reddening. But Damian kept moving forward until he reached the desk behind which his judge sat. Once there, he reached for a quill and would have inscribed his name on the indictment had not the priest knocked the quill away and bellowed: 'Soldiers, arrest this man!'
So what had been intended as an orderly hearing ended in a general debacle, for as soon as Fray Domingo saw his protector dragged toward the exit door, he leaped at the guards and began pummeling them. A general melee ensued, in the midst of which the enraged priest shouted: 'Chain them both!'
In a tiny cell behind the presidio, no beds, no water, food only once a day, the two friars remained in manacles for three days, and when released, they had to promise both the priest and the captain that they would henceforth permit no Indian dancing.
They had resumed their now somber duties when a convoy
arrived from Saltillo with an unexpected member, a young officer bringing a commission that installed him as the new commander of the Presidio de Bexar and retired the former incumbent.
As Damian came from the mission to greet the officer he saw from a distance that the new man was Alvaro, and ran forward to embrace him: 'Dearest brother! You are needed here.' But before Alvaro could respond, Damian asked: 'How is Benita?' 'Fine. If permission is given, she could be coming here.' Fired by this hope, and supported by an understanding commander, Fray Damian launched what could be called the golden years of Santa Teresa, for with assistance from the soldiers, the walls of the mission were completed, its canal and, most important, its adobe church; and at the ranch Fray Domingo increased his herds until they taxed the ability of his Indians to control them; and the dancing resumed.
If Fray Domingo had been required to pacify only the relatively amenable Indians at the ranch near Bexar, he would have succeeded, but the Franciscans had had the bad luck to place their missions on land which was more or less claimed by Indians of a much different type.
The Apacheria was not a specific land area, nor was it a highly organized brotherhood of tribes. The word represented a mystical concept, the region and union of the Apache. The imprecision was twofold: the specific territory was never defined and membership was so elastic that any Apache tribe could be included or excluded, as it preferred. One thing was certain: in recent decades the Apache had come to consider the lands around Bexar as part of their Apacheria, and evicting the white intruders became an obligation.
Even so, a kind of truce might have been negotiable—Spaniards to the east, Apache to the west—had not another warrior tribe of Indians invaded the western plains at about this time. The newcomers were the dreaded Comanche, horse Indians from the Rocky Mountain areas, who considered all other humans their enemies. Apache and Comanche, what a sadly mismatched pair: the former somewhat sedentary, the latter constantly roving, the former without many horses, the latter the finest horsemen of the plains; the former a loose confederation of many differing tribes, the latter fearfully concentrated; and both wanting to occupy the same lands.
No Comanche had yet been seen at Bexar; they would not appear in force for nearly fifty years, but their unrelenting pressure
on the western reaches of the Apacheria meant that the Apache were forced to move eastward, and this brought them into conflict with the Spanish at Bexar. But for the time being, a kind of rude accommodation did exist, as proved by an enthusiastic report on conditions at the mission submitted at this time.
In 1729 an investigative priest from Zacatecas, whose name Espejo fortuitously meant glass or, as some said, spyglass, visited all parts of Tejas on an inspection tour. After dismal experiences in Nacogdoches and the coastal areas, he reached Bexar in an uncompromising mood, but here he saw how ably the Saldana brothers cooperated in governing the place:
At the end of September 1729, I came at last to Mision Santa Teresa de Casafuerte del Colegio de Propaganda Fide de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de Zacatecas, and all the unpleasantness of preceding days vanished as if God had set down in the wilderness a great shining lantern.
The mission was guarded by two exemplary friars, Damian de Saldana of good family and superior orders who manages all, and Domingo Pacheco, a mestizo of lower orders who performs wonders with his Indians, of whom 234 Pampopa, Postito and Tacame reside in the mission About three Indians per year have been formally converted, the rest behaving as Christians but not belonging to the church.
The order of the day reflects the piety of Fray Damian. Church bell at sunrise, when all attend Mass. Copious breakfast for forty-five minutes, then everyone to work on the building projects supervised by Fray Damian, who is an outstanding builder
Lunch at noon, again well provided, and siesta for all. At two in the afternoon return to work, and at five the church bell again, whereupon the entire population reports to the church to recite the Doctrina Cristiana, which includes: Way of the Cross, Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Apostle's Creed, Confiteor, Precepts of the Church, Seven Sacraments, seasonal points of faith, and concluding with the Four Last Things. It is heartening to hear these Indians who only a few years ago followed pagan beliefs about rocks and rivers recite in unison the holy words that mean they are now approaching salvation.
At meals Fray Domingo served us with beef, mutton, cabrito and chickens. He also provided squash, potatoes, watermelons and lentils From the carefully tended orchard he had all the fruits of the season, including peaches, pears and plums, with dried cherries In obedience to the strict prohibition issued by our King in order to protect the industries of Spain, the mission grows no grapes or olives, although I believe each would prosper here were they allowed.
Then Father Espejo listed in detail some sixty valuable items owned by the mission, divided into five categories, and samples from each will indicate the material progress Fray Damian had made:
FOR THE WOMEN
1 loom
3 spinning wheels
4 scissors
17 needles
7 candle molds
FOR PROTECTION
3 harquebuses
> pistols
20 bullet molds
6 swords
FOR THE MEN
5 plowshares 7 hoes
5 scythes 1 pair tongs
7 shovels
FOR THE BUILDERS
2 planes
2 iron wedges
5 sledgehammers
6~ iron nails
FOR GOD
2 incense burners
3 small bells
5 sets of altar cloths
The report ended with two footnotes, the first displaying pride, the second confusion:
This mission owns several treasures, a statue of San Antonio de Padua, carved in Zacatecas, and a set of fourteen Stations of the Cross, painted on canvas in Spain. It also has
two fine blue habits of linen-and-wool, plus three iron shovels, gifts from His Majesty the King.
As to the charge so often voiced that 'the only Indians who ever convert are old people about to die,' I confess that this is justified. Young braves refuse to give up their dancing and other favored abominations, but older warriors as they approach death listen attentively to Fray Damian's preaching. Soldiers at the presidio sneer: 'The friars catch only falling leaves.' but I told them: 'Three souls saved, even in extremis, are still three brands saved from the burning, and you should rejoice in their salvation,' but the soldiers laughed, as young men will.
In his summary' paragraphs he delivered his judgment as to this mission, saying in part:
Santa Teresa de Casafuerte, in its exemplary conduct and its fruitful relationship with its presidio, justifies in unmatched perfection the accepted Spanish theory of governing new provinces: to Christianize, to civilize, to utilize. 1 can foresee only continued blessings for Bexar, and as soon as 1 return to Zacatecas, I shall recommend to the Council
of the Indies that civilian settlers from Spain be brought here to establish the city which shall complement this fine venture
In a separate memorandum, which he discussed with neither of the Saldanas, Espejo proposed an idea that would bring great happiness to each of the brothers:
Bexar is now so firmly established, even though its population is minimal, that the time has come when more wives ought to be encouraged to |oin their husbands at the presidio. This will give the Indians and mestizos a taste of true Spanish civilization, which can only edify them. I therefore propose that Benita Lirian de Saldana be allowed and encouraged to move with her three sons to Bexar immediately. I know this lady She is a splendid example of Spanish womanhood at its best and will add honor to the presidio.
The proposal was quickly adopted by the military in Zacatecas, and one morning in December 1729 a soldier posting in from the Rio Grande shouted at the gates of the presidio: 'We come bringing great treasure!' and he caused so much excitement that Fray Damian was summoned from his mission labors and was present when a mule train came up to the presidio bearing Benita. When she stepped down, dust-covered, Damian gasped, for at twenty-five and the mother of three rambunctious sons, she was far more beautiful than before. Throwing her arms wide, as if to embrace the entire wilderness, she cried: T am so glad to be here!'
Brushing aside the soldiers who tried to help with her children, she ran first to her husband, kissing him ardently and displaying their sons. Then she turned, saw Damian waiting beside the wall, and ran to him, throwing her arms about him and kissing him on the cheek: 'Brother Damian, 1 am honored of God to be allowed to share in your work. These are your nephews.'
The next year was a period of some confusion for Fray Damian: he dined frequently at the presidio, once such an alien and unfriendly place, and there he saw how well Benita had raised her sons; he found many other excuses for visiting, and was invariably heartened by her continued liveliness, though he would never admit even to himself why he kept going there. In his quiet, austere way he was in love, and sometimes when he labored on some new mission structure he felt a deep hunger to see her again, to satisfy Himself that she was there, and to appreciate the fact that she was a woman, totally different from himself and wonderful in her unique way. Seeing her, listening to her charming manner with her sons was enough, he thought, and in a subtle act of self-
deception he began to convince himself that he visited only to help her with her eldest boy, Ramon, now seven: That one, Benita, he'd make a fine priest.'
'How foolish! He's a rowdy little boy who hates to sit still while you say prayers. He has no sense of vocation and little likelihood of ever attaining one.' Damian ignored this sensible assessment and continued visiting the boy, but with no constructive results.
When Alvaro said one day: i do not like the idea of your Fray Domingo spending so much time at the ranch,' Damian assured his brother that much good work was being done there with cattle and goats and sheep. But Alvaro's apprehension focused on other matters: it's the Apache. They keep moving closer, and sooner or later I fear they'll try to attack the ranch.' Again Damian protested: 'Domingo has the touch of God. He saves souls, and given time, he'll bring peace even to the Apache.'
Alvaro grew quite serious: 'You don't seem to understand. With three walled missions here at Bexar, with this stout presidio, with the armed huts in the village, I'm still afraid the Apache will attack one night. Imagine what they might do at an unprotected ranch.'
'God ordered us to establish that ranch,' Damian said. 'He will protect it.'
i hope so, because I won't be able to.'
Some days later, when Domingo had returned to the mission, Damian accompanied him to the presidio, where the three leaders consulted, the fat little friar trying to convince Captain Alvaro that life at the ranch was safe: 'Each week the Apache understand a little better what Christianity means, and the salvation it will bring them.'
'Are they living at the ranch? Real converts, I mean?'
'No, but they do come in now and then, and I talk with them.'
Alvaro stood up and saluted: 'You're a brave man, Domingo. Much braver than I, and may God protect you.'
'I dance with them. I sing with them. I pray with them. And that's the pathway to salvation.'
Faithful to his promise, Father Espejo did forward his urgent appeal to the king, begging him to send civilian settlers to Bexar, but before any response was possible, the growing town was tripled in size by an extraordinary event. In early 1731 three faltering missions wasting away in the north were transferred to San Antonio de Bexar, where they joined the three already in operation. Of course, the buildings themselves were not transported; they were so forlorn and storm-shattered, they could not have been moved, but the six friars and the best of their Indian
helpers made long treks through Tejas, expressing robust satisfaction when they saw the vastly improved site they were to occupy.
How beautiful their names are, Fray Damian thought, as he helped the three new missions select their locations: Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion, San Juan Capistrano, San Francisco de la Espada. Like shining beads on a rosary.
When they were in place—the first two on the eastern bank of the river, like the earliest mission, San Antonio de Valero; the third on the western bank, like Santa Teresa and San Jose—Damian warned the new friars: 'Your success will depend on two things. Prayers to help you do better at converting Indians than we've done. And securing an assured water supply for the fields that will feed you and your Indians.'
The incoming friars encouraged Fray Damian to tell them more about bringing water onto their land, and they were so persistent in seeking his advice that he ended by laying out the three additional ditches which would in future years account for much of Bexar's growth. Having shown the newcomers how to survey so as to avoid costly aqueducts unless they were inescapable, he continued to counsel the friars until work actually started, then found himself once more with a shovel, demonstrating how the digging should be done.
Fray Damian was forty-five years old when the new missions started functioning, rather tired and increasingly emaciated in appearance, but he was so eager to help these servants of God get started correctly that he labored on their ditches as if he were a member of their missions, and when at last the precious water began to flow, he felt as if he had helped write a small addition to the Acts of the Apostles.
There was at San Juan Capistrano, the mission which honored a saintly man who had worked among the Bulgarians in much the way that Damian worked with the Indians, a young mestizo friar named Eusebio who, because of his extreme sanctity, had been allowed to take major orders, and he was so awed by this privilege that he honored with extra seriousness each precept of the Franciscans. Particularly, he wore about his waist the long heavily knotted cord that served a double purpose: it was a belt holding the blue habit close to the body, but also a flagellum, a scourge to be
applied whenever one felt he was indulging in vainglory. Sometimes when Damian paused in his work, he would see Eusebio walking under the trees, beating himself with his knots and crying 'Mea culpa, mea culpa.'
One morning as Damian dug in the ditch at one of the new missions he noticed Eusebio sitting on a log, striking himself. 'Really, you're not required to punish yourself that way.'
Tni vain,' the young friar mumbled. 'Far too proud of the high position to which God has promoted me.' And he struck himself again.
'Stop it! If God did the promoting . . .'
'Are you never vainglorious?'
'I have little to be vain about. At this mission Fray Domingo saves the souls. I dig the ditches.'
'But is your mind never troubled?'
'On the night I was assigned to Bexar, I cried: "I have sin upon me. I'm unworthy to be a shepherd." '
'What changed your mind?'
'Work.'
'But the great battles of faith?'
This last word seemed to animate Damian, for he put down his shovel and climbed from the irrigation ditch to take his place beside the young friar, i take great solace from the Epistle of James,' he said, quoting haphazardly as his memory allowed from the startling second chapter which gave Protestant rigorists so much trouble:
'What does it profit if a man say he has faith, but has not works? Can faith save him?
'Faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
'You see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
'For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.'
The young man stared at him, but Damian merely kicked at the earth as he said: 'I know that I am lesser than Domingo, who does the work of God, but I find comfort in doing the work of man. Domingo builds castles in heaven, I build adobe huts here on earth. And I do believe that God sometimes wants both.'
