Fray eusebio kino biography for kids

1. Early Life and Education
2. Jesuit Order and Mission to Mexico
3. Perilous Journey to the New World
4. Missionary Work in Baja California
5. Founding of Loreto and Conflict with Locals
6. Renewed Mission Attempts and Return to Mexico

Early Life and Education

Born into a carpenter's family in the Italian Alps near Trento, Eusebio Francisco Kino exhibited exceptional abilities from a young age. His parents sent him to a Jesuit school, where he excelled in mathematics and chemistry. At the age of 20, he entered the Jesuit monastery.

Jesuit Order and Mission to Mexico

Kino's intellectual prowess caught the attention of the Duke of Bavaria, who offered him a professorship at the University of Ingolstadt. However, Kino's vocation lay in missionary work. He petitioned the Jesuit leadership to send him to China, but vacancies existed only in the missions to the Philippines and Mexico. In a lottery draw, Kino's fate was sealed: he would evangelize the people of Mexico.

Perilous Journey to the New World

In 1678, Kino embarked with 18 colleagues on a voyage from Genoa to Cadiz. However, they missed the royal caravan to Mexico and had to wait two years for another opportunity. During this time, Kino immersed himself in the study of Spanish. Finally, in 1680, the missionaries set sail but their ship ran aground and was destroyed by a storm. Devastated, Kino waited six more months for a third chance to reach the New World.

Missionary Work in Baja California

Kino's mission was to preach on the Baja California Peninsula, a sparsely explored region despite previous attempts at colonization since the time of Cortés. In 1683, he accompanied Admiral Isidro de Atondo y Atilio to his diocese. However, indigenous resistance forced them to retreat to Sinaloa. Undeterred, Kino founded his first mission, San Bruno, near present-day Loreto later that year.

Founding of Loreto and Conflict with Locals

Within a year, Kino had converted many indigenous people on the Californian coast. He studied their languages and customs. However, Admiral Atondo deemed the location unsuitable for colonization and ordered an evacuation despite the missionaries' protests. In 1686, Kino proposed an alliance with Atondo to annex Baja California to Spanish territory and offered to fund the venture. The Jesuit leadership declined but promised to provide missionaries.

Renewed Mission Attempts and Return to Mexico

In 1687, Kino embarked on his third mission to California, establishing a mission at Loreto. However, fierce indigenous resistance forced him to return. Despite these setbacks, Kino remained steadfast in his commitment to evangelizing the region. He returned to Mexico to gather resources and support for his endeavors.