Tomás Manso (c. 1604-1659) was a Roman Catholic priest who worked in New Mexico as a missionary from 1629 until 1656 and served as

Bishop of Nicaragua A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in 1658 and 1659. ''(in Latin)'' Tomás Manso was the older half-brother of Juan Manso de Contreras who was the governor of New Mexico from 1656 to 1659.

Biography

Tomás Manso was born in Santa Eulalia de Luarca, Spain about 1604. His father was Sebastián Manso and his mother was Maria Méndez. He may have been of noble ancestry. Manso professed as a member of the Order of Friars Minor of the Franciscans on 12 July 1624. In 1629, Manso arrived in New Mexico as a Franciscan missionary to the American Indians, especially to the town-dwelling Puebloan people inhabiting the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

valley. Edited by Jerry R. Craddock In 1631, Manso became the "procurador general" in charge of the supply service to the Franciscan missions in New Mexico. Manso organized and led the mule-drawn caravans which left Mexico City every three years and followed the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior) for to the Spanish colony of New Mexico. The caravans were the lifeline of the isolated New Mexican settlement. Manso served as procurador general for 25 years, making nine round trips between Mexico City and New Mexico. During his time with the supply service, Manso was in business in Mexico, whether for his benefit or that of the Franciscans is uncertain. He sold clothing manufactured in New Mexico and livestock which accompanied the caravans. In 1641, Manso journeyed back to Spain to settle the affairs of a closed Franciscan mission in

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

, Mexico, returning to Mexico by 1644. On 14 December 1656, Manso was selected by the king of Spain as

and confirmed on 29 April 1658 by

Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...

. In 1659, six months after his arrival in Nicaragua, he died in the city of

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

References

External links and additional sources

* (for Chronology of Bishops) * (for Chronology of Bishops) {{DEFAULTSORT:Manso, Tomas 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nicaragua Bishops appointed by Pope Alexander VII 1659 deaths Franciscan bishops Roman Catholic bishops of León in Nicaragua Franciscans Franciscan missionaries 17th-century Spanish Roman Catholic priests 1600s in New Mexico Spanish Franciscans History of New Mexico Pre-statehood history of New Mexico Roman Catholic missionaries in New Spain Year of birth uncertain