When people think of Florida, many different and, at times, conflicting images come to mind. First named 'La Florida' or 'Flowery Land' by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León during the Easter Season of 1513, this peninsular state draws millions of tourists every year to the wonders of Disney World, the Everglades National Park, Kennedy Space Center, and, most of all, the seemingly endless miles of sunny, sandy beaches stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

Most of those who visit, and even many who call Florida 'home' today, are unaware of the incredible efforts and sustained success of Franciscan friars who brought the Christian faith to the indigenous peoples of what is now the Southeastern section of the United States. Known primarily for their missions in California, the followers of Francis landed in Florida almost two centuries before their confreres arrived in California. Striking out from the city of Saint Augustine in 1573, these friars established a string of missions stretching up the Atlantic coast into present day Georgia and across the peninsula to the area where the cities of Pensacola and Tallahassee are located today. These friars would leave only in 1763, when Florida was ceded to England in the wake of Anglo-Spanish War; it was not their choice to go.

Unsung Heroes

While popular history records some of the arduous efforts of these friars, precious little mention is made of American Indians from tribes such as the Apalachee, Guale, Mocama, and Timucua. The Spanish Empire never really attempted to conquer Florida; at best royal representatives sought to build and maintain a patchwork of alliances with tribal caciques or chiefs. Working in this shifting and often precarious environment, the friars - often alone in small villages - established schools to educate boys and girls and introduce them to the daily practice of the Catholic faith. At a time in history when children in some great European cities were without books, a visiting Franciscan and future Bishop, Luis Jerónimo de Oré, remarked that everywhere he went in an area near Saint Augustine he saw children with books who were learning to read and write. Thanks to the efforts of Fr. Francisco Pareja and his gifted students, Timucua became the first written/grammatical indigenous language of the United States. Catechisms, confessional aids, and devotional tracts in Timucua were published in Mexico City in the 1700s and swiftly distributed back in Florida. Spanish documents suggest that similar texts were produced in the Guale and Apalachee languages. This pattern of evangelization through education and liturgical participation was repeated throughout the Southeastern mission system as the friars worked hand in hand with native catechists, both men and women. Their mutual commitment to the Gospel, as the friars themselves would later testify, cost many of them their lives.

86 Servants of God

Among these memorable American Indian catechists, Antonio Cuipa stands at the center of historical and ecclesial interest. Indeed, on October 12, 2015, the Roman Catholic Church opened the cause for the beatification and canonization of Antonio Cuipa and Companions. The official edict lists the names of eighty-six individuals, both lay and religious, who are now recognized as 'Servants of God' and presumed to be martyrs for the faith. Thirteen friars are mentioned, among them Fr. Augustin Ponce de León, who was born in Saint Augustine. Others named include Jesuits, Dominicans, and Spanish settlers. However, reading through the list, it is the sheer number of American Indians, young and old, men and women, that grabs the reader's attention.

Antonio Cuipa is the first name on the list. An Apalachee cacique baptized with the name of the beloved Saint of Padua. A father of two, he was deeply respected by his people; Cuipa was a carpenter, a dynamic catechist, and a close friend of the friars. In fact, his son and daughter were baptized Francis and Clare respectively. Stories told of Cuipa recount his astute wisdom in judicial matters and practical knowledge with regard to the times and seasons of the land. He was clearly an unforgettable figure for those who knew him, and he remains strickingly appealing in so many ways today. With deep devotion to the Liturgy of the Hours, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, he played the guitar in the 'Spanish style' and travelled with the friars throughout his ancestral homeland to assist in their evangelization efforts.

Colonel Moore

Tragedy struck Antonio, his people, and so many other innocent individuals in Florida in 1704. The Franciscan greeting of 'Paz y Bien' or 'Peace and All Good' went unheeded as British colonialists and their native allies invaded Florida from the north. The assailants were determined to systematically eliminate the Spanish missions and subject native Christians to slavery or slaughter. The former governor of the English colony of South Carolina, Colonel Moore, had lead a costly and ultimately unsuccessful assault on Saint Augustine back in 1702. Repudiated at home and stripped of his office, he returned to Florida in 1704 intent on reprisal and revenge. What followed was a horrendous series of assaults that left burning missions and shattered lives throughout northern Florida. Like Antonio Cuipa, many Apalachee Christians, together with members of other tribes, reportedly suffered crucifixion, burning, quartering, and full scalping. In the wake of these attacks, large swaths of Apalachee territory were abandoned and refuges flooded Saint Augustine, seeking shelter under the cannons of the Castillo de San Marcos. Still standing today, this fort and National Park site now welcome tourist crowds in more tranquil times within its storied walls on a daily basis.

Opaque Aspect

Some of the stories told by those arriving from the Apalachee region in the early 1700s spoke of those who met their deaths with courage, while others narrated the heroism of those who escaped. One of the most moving accounts concerns Manuel, a young American Indian, who was reported to be of slight stature but of formidable moral resolve. He served at the altar of a small mission church that was set aflame by invading forces. Rushing headlong into the sacred structure, he fought to extinguish the flames, but was brutally murdered after being taunted and humiliated due to his faith. Another account reveals the fate of three women, Elena, Felicia, and Clara. Fleeing the battles, they walked for ten days from the Apalachee region to Saint Augustine. Ducking for cover when necessary, they eluded capture while witnessing the horrific deaths of many of their fellow natives in the villages they passed. A remarkable story in itself, these women also succeeded in bringing five young children with them. Upon their arrival, the women dedicated themselves to catechizing others and caring for the Mission of Nombre de Dios while the authorities in the city struggled to find refuge for the rising number of orphaned children.

These courageous women of Florida, along with Antonio Cuipa, Manuel, and so many others offer a striking testimony to the power of indigenous faith and the legacy of Franciscan evangelization. This opaque aspect of Florida's history needs to be rendered transparent for tourists and residents and, most of all, for the universal community of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

*This article was originally published in the July/August 2016 edition of the print magazine "Messenger of St. Anthony." 

Image credit, top to bottom:

Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Le Leche, photo by Betsy Lee

The Living Antonio, original art by Jaclyn Warren

stained glass window of the Martyrdom of Antonio Cuipa in St. Anne's Catholic Church, Ruskin, Florida by Casola Stained Glass