| Antonio de Olivares | |
|---|---|
Monument to Fray Antonio de Olivares in San Antonio (Texas) |
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| Born | 1505 Moguer, Andalusia, Spain |
| Died | 1722 Querétaro, México |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Franciscan |
Antonio de Olivares was a Spanish Franciscan (Moguer, 1630 - Querétaro, México, 1722) known by officiate at the first Mass celebrated in Texas, for contributing to the founding of San Antonio and for his exploration in this city.
Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares born in Moguer, Andalusia, Spain in 1630 and studied at the Franciscan convent of San Francisco de Moguer.
In 1665, at the age of thirty-five years, involved a passenger on a religious expedition to the Americas, along with 19 other religious. Once in Americas, in the Convent of Querétaro, he received the training he needed to engage with the natives, in their work of evangelization. It was from this monastery from which they departed the various expeditions that take place in Texas, since this was a strategically important place for the crown.
On January 1, 1699 Fray Antonio de Olivares founded in the valley of the Circumcision the missions of San Bernardo and San Francisco Solano in Texas.
In 1706 he was appointed guardian of the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro, where he remained three years. In 1709, together with Fray Isidro de Espinosa, explored the territory where now the city of San Antonio. The same year he traveled to Spain to convince the authorities of the importance that had to maintain and establish new missions to the bank of the San Antonio River. Finally got the viceroyalty of New Spain's permission to found new missions. On May 1, 1718 Fray Antonio de Olivares founded the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, in the present city of San Antonio, Texas, establishing four days after the prison and the village with 400 people.
Fray Antonio de Olivares was aided by Jereme Indian mission to build the bridge that connected the Alamo Mission in San Antonio and San Antonio de Bejar, and the first ditch six miles long that built to irrigate 400 hectares " The Alamo". The last years of life were spent founding the missions of San Jose and San Miguel de Aguayo, Texas, next to the San Antonio River. He returned to the convent of Querétaro where he died in 1722.