Saints Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz, Alphonsus Rodríguez and Juan del Castillo

Martyrs of the Rio Plate

Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz (1576-1628) was one of the main architects of the Jesuit reductions in Paraguay along the Rio Plate. A native of Paraguay, Gonzalez was born in its capital, Asunción in 1576 and studied with the Jesuits but became a diocesan priest whose first assignment was working with native peoples near the capital. He was so successful that the bishop made him pastor of the cathedral. Then in 1609 he joined the Jesuits who sent him as a novice to work with the Guaraní people who lived on the banks of the Paraguay and Pilcomayao rivers. He was sent to convert them to Christianity, thus assuring Spaniards of safe passage on a shortcut to Peru. Gonzalez became fluent in the Guaraní language and his preaching became effective. Although few Guaraní asked to be baptized, they became more friendly and ceased attacking Asunción.

After two years in this first mission, Gonzalez was transferred in 1611 to the mission of St. Ignatius, which also flourished under his care. The missions were known as "reductions" from the verb, "reducir," because they were based on leading people back together to live in towns. At St. Ignatius Gonzalez laid out the public square, supervised the construction of houses, founded a school and built a church. Beyond creating a place for people to live, he also taught them the essentials of farming and raising sheep and cattle. And of course, he continued to preach, using color, music and displays such as processions to attract them.

The four years Gonzalez spent at St. Ignatius set the pattern for the 12 years that followed his stay there. He founded a series of missions, or reductions, throughout what is now part of southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina. He was successful as a missionary because he was multi-talented, able to be architect, mason, farmer and physician as well as pastor. It also helped that he lived as the people lived and ate what they ate. When famine hit the settlement, he endured it with them.

In 1619 Gonzalez became the first Jesuit to enter the territory that became Uruguay when a chief from the jungles came to an existing settlement and saw how well it had developed. He invited Gonzalez to come to his people. The Jesuit pioneer accepted the invitation and in 1620 founded the town of Concepción. Later he founded other missions including Candelaria, and the mission of the Assumption at Iyuí, a village of 400 people, which he left in charge of Father John del Castillo, a recently ordained Jesuit. Gonzalez set out for Caaró with Father Alfonso Rodríguez to found a new mission.

The two Jesuits arrived at the new mission on November 1 and named it All Saints. Within a few days they baptized three children, and their success threw them into conflict with Nezú, the local religious leader, who begrudged the influence the missionaries were beginning to have on people. He determined to kill the missionaries in his area. Father Gonzalez left the chapel on the morning of Nov. 15 after finishing Mass and noticed some men setting up a bell. As the Jesuit bent down to attach the clapper, one of Nezú's henchmen split the priest's skull with an axe. When Rodríguez heard the noise, he came out of the chapel and was immediately struck down. The bodies of both priests were thrown into the chapel which was then set on fire.