Roque González de Santa Cruz

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Saint Roque

Father Roque González de Santa Cruz S.J. was born in Asunción, Paraguay on November 17, 1576. He was the son of Don Bartolomé González de Villaverde and Doña María de Santa Cruz. His parents were Spanish. Roque González spoke Guaraní fluently since an early age. At the age of 22 he was ordained priest by the bishop of Córdoba. In 1609, he became a Society of Jesus, beginning his work as a missionary. He became the first non-native or European person to enter the region known today as the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

His arrival in the area only happened after his developing delicate relationships of trust with local indigenous leaders, some of who feared that the priests were preparing the way for the arrival of masses of Europeans in their land. Roque González arrived in the area on the May 3, 1626.

In 1613 he founded the reduction of San Ignacio Miní. In 1615 he founded Itapúa, nowadays the city of Posadas in the Argentine province of Missiones). Then he had to move the reduction to the other side of the river, where nowadays is the city of Encarnación. He also founded the reduction of Concepción de la Sierra Candelaria (1619), Candelaria (1627), San Javier, Yapeyú (now in the province of Corrientes San Nicolás, Asunción del Iyuí and Caaró (now in Brazil). In the region of Iyuí, he was having difficulties with the 'caquique' Ñezú.

After establishing the first mission reduction of Saint Nicolas (São Nicolau in Portuguese) and other missionary centers in the region, Roque González was struck down by Chief Nheçu on 15 November 1628. His heart and the weapon by which he was killed are in the Chapel of the Martyrs in Asunción. He was beatified on 28 January 1934.

On 16 May 1988, Roque González was canonised by Pope John Paul II in Asunción, thus becoming the first Paraguayan saint. Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz is patron of the cities of Posadas, Argentina, and Encarnación, Paraguay.