Home | History | Regional History | Mexico - 01 ID 2630 Mexico - 01 First Augustinian foundation in the New World (see text) The first group of Augustinians assigned to the New World went to Mexico.   The first Augustinian priory (convento) in the New World began at Ocuituco in Morales State, Mexico in 1533.   This was the first convento of the Order in the New World.   These members of the Order were sent to Mexico by the Province of Spain (later called the Province of Castile).   On 3rd March 1533, these seven members of the Order of Saint Augustine sailed from San Lucas de Barrameda near Seville.   On 22nd May 1533 they stepped ashore at the port of Vera Cruz in Mexico, and travelled to Mexico City. They soon established seven houses.   Alonso de la Vera Cruz, a young priest and professor who had travelled across the Atlantic on the same boat as the third group of Augustinians, joined the in Order on arrival in Mexico in 1536.   He founded the first university in the New World in the town of Tiripetio, about 25 km southwest of Morelia.   The Augustinians were involved in the establishment of the pontifical and royal University of Mexico, at which Vera Cruz taught for a number of years. First Augustinian foundation in the New World (see text) Girolamo Seripando O.S.A., as the Prior_General of the Order from 1539 to 1551, wrote to these men.   He told them: "With Christ You do not have to wish nothing but that the salvation of the souls by which he was thirsty in the Cross".   A fourth group of twelve men arrived from Spain in 1539.   In 1549 the Prior_General wrote again to the Order in Spain, for the second time successfully at the instigation of Emperor Charles V of Spain.   He asked that members of the Order be sent to South America in greater numbers.   By February 1562 there were almost 300 Spanish Augustinians in Mexico, in fifty houses.   They were distinguished by their willingness to admit local people to the Order.   There was such an increase of the local vocations that after 1577 it no longer it was necessary to solicit members of the Order from Spain to serve in Mexico.   (Continued on the next page.) ID2630 << Previous    Next >> Mexico - 01  Africa: East - 01  Africa: West  Asia Pacific - 01  Algeria - 01  Australia  Bangladesh  Belgium - 01  Benin  Canada  Czech Republic - 01  China - 01  Congo - 01  England - 01  France - 01  Germany - 01  Holland - 01  Hungary - 01  India: Introduction  Indonesia - 01  Iran - 01  Ireland - 01  Japan - 01  Kenya: Introduction  Kenya: Mombasa - 01  Korea - 01  Latin America - 01  Macao  Malta - 01   Mexico - 01 Mexico - 02 Mexico - 03  Nigeria - 01  Papua - 01  Philippines - 01  Poland - 01  Portugal - 01  Slovakia  South Africa - 01  Spain - 01  Sri Lanka  Tanzania - 01  Wales & Scotland - 01

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