Personal letters from 18th Century Sonoraby Carolyn Classen on
Oct. 26, 2012, under Education, Life German Speaking Jesuit
Missionaries as Founders of Sonora, Mexico and Southern Arizona
It is commonly assumed that the early history of the Pimeria
Alta, currently Sonora, Mexico and southern Arizona, was
determined by Spanish colonizers. In reality, the Jesuit order,
perhaps best represented by Padre Eusebio Kino, can be credited
with having had the greatest impact on the entire region. A
surprisingly large number of Kino’s successors hailed from
German speaking lands and left a huge impact on the early
history of the Southwest. One of these was Swiss missionary
Philipp Segesser, whose insightful and enlightening
correspondences have only recently been translated into English.
Gain insight into the global role which the Jesuits played, and
how important the Sonoran province was for the international
Jesuit Order. This Arizona Humanities Council sponsored program
is presented by Dr. Albrecht Classen, Distinguis