The Martyrdom of Friar Juan de Padilla

In 1527, Cabeza de Vaca survived a failed expedition to Florida ending up rescued by natives near what is now Galveston, Texas and was made a slave. He and three others escaped. Although Cabeza de Vaca began the journey as a soldier of fortune, he seemed to have had a strong religious conversion in the process. Once Cabeza de Vaca was back  among his fellow Spaniards, he gave the impression that there were valuable things to the north of New Spain when he expressed his desire to lead an expedition back and refused to tell anyone but the King the "important" things he had had seen. While the others thought "important" meant treasures, what he meant was the souls of the people he longed to convert and bring into the Kingdom of Spain.

This influenced Francisco Vasquez de Coronado to travel in search of treasure to the North. In what is now New Mexico a slave told of a land called Quivira where there was much gold. Some modern historians think this slave may not have understood the difference between gold and copper. Other speculation is that this was his home and a trick to get the Spanish to take him back. It could very well have been a ruse to simply get the Spanish out of New Mexico.

Eventually Coronado and a small party arrived in "Quivira" where there was no gold. After erecting a cross showing how far they traveled, Coronado returned to Mexico but a small group stayed behind including Friar Juan de Padilla. This Franciscan, missionary priest lived among the "Indians of the Quivira" for some time sharing his faith. When the time seemed proper, he resolved to bring the faith to a neighboring tribe as well. Because the tribes were hostile to each other, this was seen as betrayal.

As Friar Padilla and his companions were on their journey, they were overtaken by Indians on the war path. Friar Padilla, recognizing the danger, commanded his companions to flee. Then he turned and knelt in prayer commending his soul to God as the arrows began to fall about him. He was the first martyr on the soil of what is now the United States on November 30, 1542 (though some accounts claim 1544.) In contrasts, the city of St. Augustine was founded in Florida in 1565, a seminary was begun there in 1605 and the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Friar Padilla's companions were captured and enslaved, but eventually escaped and returned to tell the story.

The question of the location of Quivira is disputed. It is of most interest to simply know where the protomartyr of the United States died. Both Kansas and Texas have built shrines to Fr. Padilla claiming he died there. In 1916 Monsignor Michael Shrine published "The Lost Province of Quivira" arguing that it was in Nebraska. Besides making an extensive geographical argument, he points out that Quivira is the Spanish pronunciation of one of the Pawnee tribes. Monsignor Shrine also predicted that one day Coronado's cross will be found within 50 miles of St. Paul, Nebraska. The New Catholic Dictionary lists the site of Friar Padilla;s martyrdom as Hall County, Nebraska. When architect Thomas Rogers Kimball designed St Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha in a Spanish Renaissance Revival style due to the early influence of Spain and Mexico in the region. Nebraska was once part of the missionary area subject to the See of Santiago de Cuba.

No matter where Friar Padilla's martyrdom took place, it is good that we should think of him and the other early missionaries on this anniversary of his death.