The Children of the Blue Nun
Chapter XVIB: Fr. Kino prays like the Indians
‘Fr. Kino has a phenomenal mental spirit the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the time of St. Thomas Aquinas 400 years ago,” the Virgin remarked.
“He lives in the world of man but he belongs to the world of God. The last 24 years of his life he will spend working in the region known as Pimería Alta, in Sonora, New Spain. Thereafter, that region will be known as ‘Mexico’ and the territory of Arizona and Baja California in the United States of America.
“His first task there will be to lead the Admiral Isidro de Atondo y Antillón expedition. At that time he will establish St. Bruno’s Mission in 1683 but owing to a long drought, the Jesuits will be forced to abandon the mission and return to Mexico City.”
“How much time will be spend there, Mother?” Sister María asked the Virgin.
“After a couple of years in Mexico
City he will launch off toward the village of Cucurpe in Sonora. The name of that village comes from an Ópata Indian word meaning ‘where the dove calls.’ Fr. Kino will always have a secret belief that the ‘dove’ which had called him was none other than the Holy Spirit itself, guiding him toward the Pimería Alta on the morning of March 14, 1687.
“The good Jesuit was to travel more than 50,000 square miles on horseback charting maps of the trails in that geographic region.
“He will preach to 16 tribes beyond the Pima territories. Among them, he will include the Cocopa, the Eudeve, the Hia C-ed O’odham (which Fr. Kino will call the Yuma), the Kamia, the Kavelchadon, the Kiliwa, the Maricopa, the Mountain Pima, the Ópata, the Quechan, the Gils River Pimas, the Seri, the Tohono O’odham, the Sobaipuri, the Apache, the Yavapai and the Yaqui.
“He will scatter European fruit seeds, medicinal herbs and unknown grain among them. Fr. Kino will be the first to teach them how to raise herds of cattle, flocks of sheep and goats there.
“By that time he will have already encountered the Diné, whom he will call the Navajo. He will teach them to pray the Our Father in their own language: ‘NihiTaa’ yá’ shdi honílóonii, Nízhi’ diyingo óolzin le’, Bee nóhólníihii
náásgóó k’ee’ yilzhish le’, Áádóó bee íinínízinii t’áá yá’ shdi ááníłígi át’éego Nahasdzáán bikáa’gi ááníił le’. Ch’iyáán t’áá ákwíí j ’ niha’iyíłtsódígíí díí j ’ nihaa náádiní’aah. Áádóó t’áá nihich’ ’ b hági ádaaníiłii bá yóó’adahidiit’aahígi át’éego Nich’ ’ nda’ayiilzíhígíí nihá yóó’ahidí’aah. Áádóó nihí hodínóotahj ’ nihi’óółnííh lágo, Ndi b hági’át’éii bits’ ´ j ’ yisdánihiyínííł. Háálá ahóyéel’áágóó ni t’éí nóhólnííh áádóó t’áadoo bee nóodziilí da, índa ayóó’á t’é. T’áá ákó’ée doo.’
“(’Our Father in heaven. You who are there, your name is being holy. Let it be kept this, your kingdom. Further on, let it be increased, and may your will work, just like it works at heaven, let it work on the Earth. The food you feed us every day, give it to us again today. And those who do wrong toward us let us forgive. Like that, forgive us for our mistakes and sins. Do not send us to the tempting place but keep us away from it. Because only you who are in charge forever and ever and there’s nothing stronger than you. Also, you are the great one. Let it be that way.’)
“The good priest will walk along the desert trails one day at a time, pausing only to rest and sleep every 10 to 12 miles. He will call these sites ‘rest stops.’ Thence people will come forth to receive them and the rest stops will be turned into ‘visiting places.’
“Besides the royal forts that he will visit in those lands of the Spanish Crown, he will give Holy Mass only where Holy Mother the Church is already established. He will also administer the Sacraments in Indian village chapels. In the Indian missions themselves, where there are no resident priests, he will baptize and preach on the Holy Days of Obligation.”
This historical fiction story is written by Taos historian and linguist Larry Torres. Find prior chapters of this story in Spanish and English at taosnews.com.