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Believe it or not, the first Thanksgiving in America was Catholic
Richard Sikorski examiner.com Colonial history was not exclusive to the 13 original colonies. We forget the epic sagas of Spanish pioneers advancing into territories like present day Florida, Texas, New Mexico and California. If those adventures were chronicled in our textbooks, rather than those of the Massachusetts Pilgrims, we would have learned that the first thanksgiving celebrations in the future United States happened in 1541 and 1598. The first recorded "Thanksgiving" on North American soil actually occurred on May 29, 1541. Catholic explorer Francisco Coronado, his men and accompanying missionaries held a celebration in thanksgiving for the conversion of the Jumano Indian tribe. Father Juan Padilla. O.F.M. (fated to become the first martyr for the Faith in North America) offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. A Thanksgiving feast followed. Spanish and Indians shared a sumptuous meal contributed to by both groups. The setting was Palo Duro Canyon in what was to become the Texas panhandle. It happened 80 years before the "celebrated" Plymouth event in 1621. Another "Thanksgiving" happened in 1598, again years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Catholic nobleman Juan de Onate led an expedition of soldiers, their families, colonists, Franciscan friars and Christian Indian converts into New Mexico. After surviving an attack near present day El Paso, they all celebrated a "Thanksgiving" Mass and held a banquet afterwards. The diverse assembly shared a bountiful meal of fish, game, fruits, and vegetables. After the festivities, the expedition went on to establish the mission-town of San Juan (still populated to this day). Unlike the Coronado event, the Thanksgiving Feast of 1598 is still commemorated by the Spanish citizens and Christian Indians of New Mexico. Each April 30th, they give thanks to God for His many blessings and for His help through hardships, just like their ancestors did. The event is officially celebrated by the New Mexican Culture Preservation League as the first Thanksgiving every held in present United States. Just think, if our history books weren't written with English bias or anti-Catholic prejudice, we might been taught that the Spanish were the first Europeans in America to celebrate Thanksgiving with their native American brothers. We may have had to memorize names like Francisco Coronado or Juan de Onate rather than William Bradford. We may have learned about the Jumano rather than the Wampanoag Indians. Stories of the first American martyr may have been told in history rather than religion classes. Catholics would have been granted their rightful place in early American history.
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