Roque González de Santa Cruz (1576–1628)

Biography

Born in Asunción, Paraguay, he had longings for a religious life from an early age. He was able to achieve his ideal and became a priest, then a missionary in the Gran Chaco, later a parish priest in the cathedral of Asunción, and later entered the Society of Jesus. He was sent to convert the Indians and his arrival meant a crucial moment for Ignacio Guazu's mission. As an architect, bricklayer and carpenter, he built the town with a square, lined houses, a church and a school. He taught the Indians to plow, sow, and raise cattle and sheep. As a Creole, San Roque knew very well how to understand the Guaraní temperament and his love for music, songs, celebrations and processions. Roque González was an eloquent, optimistic and even physically impressive person. His contribution to the establishment of the Guaraní republic has been more important than that of any other person. During the next thirteen years, he founded several towns and in 1619, the city of Concepción. Passing into Uruguay, he penetrated deeply into the region of Rio Grande do Sul that had never been penetrated by Europeans. He placed the first cross and founded the reduction of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. He was murdered by an Indian, along with two other priests in Asunción del Iuyí, his last foundation.