Franciscan Fr. Juan de Padilla accompanied Coronado on his 1541 mission into New Mexico to search for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. Father Padilla was looking for souls to evangelize and save. After Coronado’s search was frustrated, Fr. de Padilla remained behind to evangelize natives among the Ouichita — or Wichita — in modern day Kansas. Details aren’t clear as to how or precisely where, but for his efforts he was the first to shed his blood for Christ in the New World. Three different markers in modern day Kansas mark places where his martyrdom could have happened. All three are within 100 miles of the geographic centerpoint of the contiguous 48 states. His martyrdom happened about 100 years prior to the first of the North American Martyrs in New York.Â
More Information
- The first martyr: Franciscan friar Juan de Padilla and his mourners passed this way 500 years ago
- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Juan de Padilla
- Juan de Padilla – Kansas Historical Society
- Learn about our upcoming pilgrimages to important and unforgettable Catholic holy sites
- TSHA | Padilla, Juan de
- Juan Padilla | Spanish missionary | Britannica
Follow to Get Episodes Automatically
And in your kindness, please leave a great rating and a review — those help more people to find American Catholic History!
Support American Catholic History
Noëlle and Tom enjoy doing this work, but they can't do it without support!
Become a supporter of American Catholic History to keep this great Catholic content coming.
Over on Locals we host reading groups, post exclusive videos, chat sessions, and we share more content not available to the public.Â
Join Our Locals Community
Learn how you can sponsor the American Catholic History Podcast. Your name and information will be included in our episodes, plus more benefits. Get information at the SQPN website.
Become a Patron
Drop a Tip in Noëlle & Tom's Tip Jar
Putting these episodes together takes time. If you appreciate what you get, show Noëlle and Tom a little love through Venmo or Paypal.
