June 9 was a big day in the small town of Menard, as hundreds of residents and visitors celebrated the 250-year anniversary of the old Spanish mission near the San Saba River.

A procession of dignitaries, followed by a crowd of regular folks, walked the roughly three-mile route from the site of the old mission to Sacred Heart Church at Canal and Blevins Streets in Menard.

Perhaps the most notable guests were Ambassador Juan Romero de Terreros Castilla, of Spain, and Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI, of San Angelo, but there were a good number of important and/or colorful individuals involved in this memorable event.

The Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba, along with the nearby presidio, was a major attempt by Spain to settle and “civilize” the interior of Texas almost 90 years before the arrival of the first German settlers who actually accomplished that tremendous feat, and represents one of the most important events in early Texas history. Its defeat marked the beginning of the end for Spanish colonization, and left a vacuum for eventual American annexation.

The Franciscan priests who accompanied the soldiers were true missionaries, whose objective was to bring Christianity and civilization to the Native Americans. They insisted on building the mission nearly four miles from the presidio (fort) to avoid intimidation or abuse from the soldiers, and to give plenty of room for farming on the fertile banks of the San Saba River.

The Spanish military had different priorities. They wanted a fort to protect settlements to the south, and they hoped to find precious metals in this previously unexplored wilderness. About 300 Spaniards, including 100 soldiers, made the journey through Mexico via Saltillo and San Antonio in 1757. The expedition was largely financed by Mexico City businessman Pedro Romero de Terreros, who put his cousin, Father Alonso Giraldo de Terreros, in charge.

The convoy of carts and pack animals arrived ...

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