My visit to Mission Espada

My visit to the San Antonio mission opened my vision to different level. I felt like I stepped back into time. My experience helped me understand or appreciate my religion, my history, and the reason of these missions. Since I arrived earlier to the mission than my class I went ahead and walked around by myself. Being of Catholic faith I spotted the church and was anxious to see the inside. As I entered the church I instantly experienced a calmness and spiritual sensation. The incense of the candles burning gave me a peaceful feeling. At the same time I could almost visualize the native Americans and the Spaniards staring at me wondering what I was doing there. I also began making a comparison with the Catholic Church that I attend in Panna Maria that has historical importance. The mission church took me even further back in time than the church in Panna Maria, that is in the location of the oldest Polish settlement in the nation. I saw all the similarities such as the statue, candles, and holy water. Historically I instantly tried to imagine how native Americans must have felt to attend church services here. Knowing that the native Americans had a completely different religious belief, I could not even imagine how they attended or participated in a christian church service. Also I was visiting the mission I began to realize the importance of the location of the mission. The San Antonio river was a important resource for water.

My parent's home is located near the San Antonio river where we found native American artifacts. Now when I find a arrow head on my parent's place I will wonder if perhaps these people were forced to work for the Spaniards. This experience has opened my thinking on a wider and different perspective. I am beginning to think perhaps as a historian. I am now asking myself and wanting to know why and how certain events occurred.