Spanish Missions in Trinidad were established as part of the Spanish colonisation of its new possessions. In 1687 the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Catalan Capuchin friars were given responsibility for

religious conversion Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliatin ...

s of the indigenous Amerindian residents of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

and the Guianas. In 1713 the missions were handed over to the secular clergy. Due to shortages of missionaries, although the missions were established they often went without Christian instruction for long periods of time. Between 1687 and 1700 several missions were founded in Trinidad, but only four survived as

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

villages throughout the eighteenth century - La Anuncíacion de Nazaret de Sabana Grande (modern

Princes Town Princes Town is a town within the Princes Town Regional Corporation, located on southern Trinidad island in Trinidad and Tobago. The population of the town is 28,335. History Founded as the Amerindian '' Mission of Savana Grande'', the town ...

), Purísima Concepción de María Santísima de Guayri (modern San Fernando), Santa Ana de Sabaneta (modern Savonetta), Nuestra Señora de Montserrate (probably modern Mayo). The mission of Santa Rosa de Arima was established in 1789 when Amerindians from the former encomiendas of

Tacarigua Tacarigua (originally San Pablo de Tacarigua) is a town in the East–West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago, located east of Tunapuna, north of Trincity and west of Arouca. It is on the banks of the Tacarigua River. The city is governed by the T ...

and Arauca ( Arouca) were relocated further west.

List of missions

*La Anuncíacion de Nazaret de Sabana Grande. *Purísima Concepción de María Santísima de Guayri. *Santa Ana de Sabaneta. *Nuestra Señora de Montserrate. *San Francisco de los Arenales (site of the Arena massacre; traditionally said to be modern San Rafael). *San Francisco de Careiro (probably modern Guayaguayare). *St. Joseph de Mayaro (probably on

Mayaro Bay Mayaro Bay stretches for nine miles on the east coast of the island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The beach which lines the bay, Mayaro Beach, is a popular destination for holidays, long weekends, and is one of the traditional places t ...

, possibly the modern village of St. Joseph, Mayaro). *Los Santos Reyes de Mucurapo (probably modern Port of Spain) *Santa Rosa de Arima (modern

Arima Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of th ...

; see Santa Rosa First Peoples Community)

References

* {{- Trinidad (island) Spanish period of Trinidad and Tobago Spanish West Indies

1680s establishments in the Spanish West Indies 18th century in Trinidad and Tobago