The Mission activity that led to the founding of Missions in Lower
California had already long been in exercise in New Mexico. The reports
of Marcos de Nizza had fired the hearts of the zealous priests as
vigorously as they had excited the cupidity of the _Conquistadores_.
Four Franciscan priests, Marcos de Nizza, Antonio Victoria, Juan de
Padilla and Juan de la Cruz, together with a lay brother, Luis de
Escalona, accompanied Coronado on his expedition. On the third day out
Fray Antonio Victoria broke his leg, hence was compelled to return, and
Fray Marcos speedily left the expedition when Zuni was reached and
nothing was found to satisfy the cupidity of the Spaniards. He was
finally permitted to retire to Mexico, and there died, March 25, 1558.

For a time Mission activity in New Mexico remained dormant, not only on
account of intense preoccupation in other fields, but because the
political leaders seemed to see no purpose in attempting the further
subjugation of the country to the north (now New Mexico and Arizona).
But about forty years after Coronado, another explorer was filled with
adventurous zeal, and he applied for a charter or royal permission to
enter the country, conquer and colonize it for the honor and glory of
the king and his own financial reward and honorable renown. This leader
was Juan de Oñate, who, in 1597, set out for New Mexico accompanied by
ten missionary padres, and in September of that year established the
second church in what is now United States territory. Juan de Oñate was
the real colonizer of this new country. It was in 1595 that he made a
contract with the Viceroy of New Spain to colonize it at his own
expense. He was delayed, however, and could not set out until early in
1597, when he started with four hundred colonists, including two hundred
soldiers, women and children, and great herds of cattle and flocks of
sheep. In due time he reached what is now the village of Chamita,
calling it San Gabriel de los Españoles, a few miles north of Santa Fé,