Isidro Félix de Espinosa (1679–1755) was a Franciscan missionary from New Spain who participated in several expeditionary missions throughout the province of Tejas (modern Texas). He was the president of the missionaries from the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro.[1]
Early life
Espinosa was born in the Spanish American area of Querétaro in modern-day Mexico. He was the son of Isidro de Espinosa and Gertrudis de Miraelrío Tovar. Espinosa had nine siblings, although three of them did not make it to adulthood. On March 18, 1696, Espinosa started studying at the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro, and on March 19, 1697, began his career as a Franciscan. On December 17, 1703, he received holy orders and on February 26 of that year he became a priest. Sometime between the end of 1703 and early 1704 he joined the Mission San Juan Bautista.[2]
Missionary work
On April 5, 1709, an expeditionary group made up of Father Espinosa and Father Antonio de Olivares, along with Captain Pedro de Aguirre and fourteen soldiers, traveled to the area which today is San Antonio, Texas, to establish a Spanish colony, attracted by the presence of water resources in that region. Along the way, the expedition made first contact with the Pastia Indians who lived south of the San Antonio River.[2] The expedition also encountered the Yojuane and their allies, the Simonos and Tusonibi in their travels. These groups tried to convince Espinosa and his associates to visit their villages located along the Rio Brazos, however, Espinosa could not go to their villages.[3] The expedition moved past the San Antonio River and traveled to the Colorado River valley, where they hoped to contact the Hasinai, having heard that these native peoples inhabited the area.[4] Espinosa and associates failed to contact any natives in the Colorado River area. The group left the area and returned to San Juan Baptista on April 28, 1709. Espinosa soon after returned to Queretaro.
Espinosa was a chronicler of Spanish Texas in the first half of the 18th century. Espinosa combined his work with writing, as he served the church by day while writing at night. He earned the nickname of El Julio Cesar de la Fé en Nueva España (The Julius Caesar of Faith in New Spain). He wrote many pieces of literature, as well as a biography of the Franciscan missionary Antonio Margil de Jesus, with whom he was friends. Espinosa was the author of the Crónica de los Colegios de Propaganda Fide de la Nueva España (Chronicle of the Colleges of Propaganda Fide of New Spain), which has been considered the most outstanding work in Texas in terms of information provided about the work of the Franciscans in the North American province, being reprinted in 1964.[4]
A letter written by Espinosa in February 1718 is now the second or third oldest document known to have used New Philippines, the official name of New Spain's most northeastern province during the 18th century.[7]
Later life and death
In late 1721, Espinosa was appointed guardian of the missions established by the Queretaro college in Tejas, but he left the region at that time and never returned. In 1733, he received the title of "president of the future hospice of San Fernando in Mexico City". Espinosa spent the final years of his life at the College of Santa Cruz in Querétaro. He died on February 14, 1755.[4]
Works
Crónica de los Colegios de Propaganda Fide de la Nueva España
Chronica apostolica y seraphica de todos los colegios de propaganda fide de esta Nueva Espana de misioneros Franciscanos observantes
^"El Nuevo Reino de Filipinas" [The New Kingdom of Philippines]. Manila Bulletin. Gale OneFile: News: Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2022. December, 1717. However, the following year, Nuevas Filipinas appeared in the heading of a letter written by Fr. Isidro Felix de Espinosa in February
