Visitas orasistencias were smallersub-missions ofCatholic missions established during the 16th-19th centuries of theSpanish colonization of the Americas and thePhilippines. They allowed the Catholic church and theSpanish crown to extend their reach intonative populations at a modest cost.

Visitas served missions and were much smaller than the main missions with living quarters, workshops and crops in addition to a church. They were typically staffed with a small group of clergymen and a relatively small group of indigenous neophytes in order to maintain the complex.

Particularly strategic visitas were later elevated to the status of a fullmission. This typically included an expansion of existing facilities to support a larger clergy and indigenous neophyte population, improvement of basic infrastructure such as roads, and rechristening under a newCatholic saint.^[1][2]

InSpanish Florida,visitas were mission stations without a resident missionary. Church buildings atvisitas were simple, or sometimes absent.^[3]Visitas were often in satellite villages associated with a town with adoctrina (a mission with one or more resident missionaries).

The first visita that was founded and documented seems to be a visita established in the village of Soloy (in modern day Florida).Pedro Menéndez de Avilés designated it to become a blockhouse in 1567, but it became a visita toMission Nombre de Dios in the beginning of the 1600s.^[4]

More visitas were established inSpanish Florida during the early 1600s, but the only ones that seem to have been documented were four visitas toMission San Pedro de Mocama and nine visitas toMission San Juan del Puerto.^[4]

During the early 1600s, visitas were founded in present day New Mexico and Sonora. Almost a century and a half later, the third and final visita in New Mexico was established,Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Pojoaque.^[5]

The last visita to be founded in Sonora was San Valentin de Bisanig (later renamed San Juan Bisaning) in 1706.^[6] Missions stopped being founded after 1772, when Father Juan Crisóstomo Gil de Bernabé founded the mission Carrizal (also known as Carrizel^[6]) and was martyred the year later, on March (6, 8, or 9). Father Antonio Caxa designated March 8, 1774 as the day to honor Bernabé.^[7]

Starting in 1684 with the founding ofMission San Bruno in Baja California Sur by Spanish admiralIsidro de Atondo y Antillón andFather Eusebio Kino,^[8] missions started to be founded in Baja California and Baja California Sur, along with visitas.

The first visita founded there wasSan Juan Bautista Londó in 1699, which servedMission Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó.^[9] The final visita in Baja California and Baja California Sur was established in 1798 asSan Telmo, which servedMission Santo Domingo de la Frontera.^[10]

In 1687,Father Eusebio Kino started to establish missions inPimería Alta, as well as visitas. In what is modern day Arizona, he established visitas at Huachuca, Quiburi, and Santa Cruz, as well as one called San Ignacio de Sonoitac.^[11][12] Sonoitac was originally just aranchería which was said to have a bigger population than the Guevavi, Tumacácori, and Calabazas settlements. A church was built, it became a visita, and it was named San Ignacio de Sonoitac after or around 1737.^[13]

In 1692, San Agustín del Tucson was established by Kino as a visita toMission San Xavier del Bac, but became a mission in 1768 asMission San Cosme y Damián de Tucsón.^[12]

In 1749 and 1750, along the Lower Rio Grande Valley, there was a large colonization effort, mainly led byJosé de Escandón. The towns ofReynosa,Camargo,Mier, andGuerrero were established in present-day Mexico, along with missions.^[14] However, the visitas that were built to serve those missions were established in present-day Texas, technically making them the only visitas established within its current boundaries.^[14]

The mission system in California started with the founding ofMission San Diego de Alcala in 1769 byFather Junipero Serra.^[15] The first asistencia in California, Santa Paula, was founded around 1782 toMission San Buenaventura. More asistencias were established to 6 out of the 21 missions in California.

The following are lists of visitas in America, sorted by year of establishment.

Spanish asistencias in California

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
Santa Paula		34.35584, -119.05086	1782 or after	It servedMission San Buenaventura.
Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles		34.05702, -118.2392	1784	It servedMission San Gabriel Arcángel.
San Pedro y San Pablo		37.58714, -122.49391	1786	It servedMission San Francisco de Asís.	[2]
Santa Margarita de Cortona		35.40197, -120.6122	1787	It servedMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.	[16]
Santa Gertrudis		34.34752, -119.29704	Between 1792 and 1809	It servedMission San Buenaventura.	[17]
San Antonio de Pala		33.36591, -117.07419	June 13, 1816	It servedMission San Luis Rey de Francia.
San Rafael Arcángel		37.97427, -122.52798	1817	It originally servedMission San Francisco de Asís, and later became a mission in 1822.
Santa Ysabel		33.13057, -116.67786	1818	It servedMission San Diego de Alcalá.
Las Flores		33.299722, -117.460833	1823	It servedMission San Luis Rey de Francia.

Spanish visitas in Arizona

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
Walpi		BelowFirst Mesa	Around 1629	It servedMission San Francisco de Oraibi. The visita name is unknown.	[18][19][20][21][22]
San Buenaventura de Mishóngnovi		BelowSecond Mesa	Around 1629	It servedMission San Bartolomé de Shungópove.	[18][19][20][21][22]
San Cayetano del Tumacácori		On the east side of the Santa Cruz River	January 1691	It servedMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi during all of its years as San Cayetano, and a few years as San José.	[23]
Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi		31.41007, -110.90198	1691	It was originally founded as a mission in 1691, but became a visita ofSan José de Tumacacori around 1773.	[24]
San Ignacio de Sonoitac		NearPatagonia	1692	It servedMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.	[25]
San Agustín del Tucson		32.21346, -110.98703	1692	It servedMission San Xavier del Bac. In 1768, it was elevated to the status of mission and became theMission San Cosme y Damián de Tucsón.	[12]
San Martín de Aribac		Arivaca	1695	Also known as Santa Gertrudes de Arivaca, it servedMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. Described as being 10 leagues (26 miles) away from Guevavi, which is only a couple miles off from the current measurement of 27.8 miles.	[26][27][28][29]
San Joaquín de Basosucan		Babacomari Ranch	1696-1697	Also known as San Joaquín de Huachuca.	[26][30][31]
Santa Cruz de Gaybanipitea		Along theSan Pedro River	Around 1731	It servedMission Santa María Suamca. Also known as Santa Cruz de Jauanipicta, it, along with Quiburi, was founded along theSan Pedro River.	[26][27][30]
Santa Ana de Quiburi		Along theSan Pedro River	Around 1731	It servedMission Santa María Suamca.	[11][31][32]
San Cayetano de Calabazas		31.45252, -110.95945	1756	It servedMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi (and later was anestancia ofMission San José de Tumacácori). It later had a resident priest, meaning it became a mission. It was downgraded back to a visita ofMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi in 1784 and abandoned in 1786.	[33][34]
Santa Gertrudis de Tubac			By 1763	It servedMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.

Spanish visitas in New Mexico

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
San Buenaventura de Cochití		35.608056; -106.345833	Early 1600s	It servedMission Santo Domingo, but later became a mission.	[35]
San Buenaventura de Humanas		34.25962, -106.09231	1626	It servedMission San Gregorio de Abó, and by 1629 became an actual mission.	[36]
San Luis Obispo de Sevilleta			1627	It was originally a mission, but was later downgraded to a visita ofNuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro. Abandoned in 1680.	[37]
Santa Clara		35.96783, -106.08796	1628	It first servedMission San Juan Bautista de los Caballeros. It was destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt and then rebuilt to serveMission San Ildefonso. It was remodeled around 1900 with a new roof which caused it to collapse in 1905. Rebuilt again around 1914 and remodeled in the 1960s.	[38]
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Pojoaque			Around 1765	It servedSan Francisco de Nambé.	[5]

Spanish visitas in Texas

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
San Agustín de Laredo (Camargo)		26.37135, -98.8563	1749	It served Mission San Agustín de Laredo, which was located inCamargo.	[39]
San Joaquin del Monte (Reynosa)		26.10515, -98.26046	1749	It served Mission San Joaquín del Monte, which was located inReynosa.	[39][14]
La Purísima Concepción (Mier)		26.46043, -99.02966	1750	It served Mission La Purísima Concepción, which was located inMier.	[39][14]
San Francisco Solano de Ampuero (Revilla)		26.90166, -99.26678	1750	It served Mission San Francisco Solano de Ampuero, which was located in present-dayGuerrero.	[39][14]

The following are lists of visitas in Mexico, sorted by year of establishment.

This list isincomplete; you can help byadding missing items.(November 2024)

Spanish visitas in Sonora

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	Reference
Concepción Curimpo			After 1614	It servedMission Natividad Navojoa.	[74]
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Tepahui			After 1614	It servedMission San Andrés Conicari.	[75]
San Ignacio de Tesia			Around 1614	It servedMission Santa Catarina de Camoa.	[75]
Espíritu Santo Cócorit			Before 1617	Established as a mission some time before 1617. After 1617, it servedMission Santa Rosa de Bácum.	[76]
Trinidad Potam			1617	It servedMission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Rahum.	[77]
San Francisco Xavier de Cumuripa			1619	It originally servedMission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa. Later it became a headquarters mission with two visitas.	[76]
San Francisco Buenavista			1619	It servedMission San Francisco Xavier de Cumuripa. In 1765, a presidio was built here, as well as a new church whose construction started in 1772. The visita is now underwater.	[78]
San José de Pimas			1620	It originally servedMission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa. It became a headquarters mission in 1771.	[79]
San Ignacio de Suaqui			1620	It servedMission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa.	[80]
San Joaquin y Santa Ana de Nuri			1622	It servedMission Santa Maria de Movas.	[81]
San Ignacio Bacanora			1627	It originally servedMission San Francisco Xavier de Arivechi, but by 1793, it servedMission Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sahuaripa.	[82]
Santa Rosalía de Onapa			1627	It servedMission San Francisco Xavier de Arivechi. It eventually became a mission with two/three visitas.	[81]
Pondia			1627	It servedMission San Francisco Xavier de Arivechi.	[79]
San Francisco de Soyopa			1628	It servedMission San Ignacio (de Loyola) de Ónavas. The visita is also known asSan Joseph de Soyopa	[80]
Santa María del Populo de Tónichi			1629	It servedMission San Ignacio (de Loyola) de Ónavas. The visita is also known asNuestra Señora del Populo de Tonintzi	[83]
Nuestra Senora Asuncion Alamos			1629	It servedMission San José de Mátape.	[82]
Santa Cruz de Nácori			1629	It servedMission San José de Mátape.	[81]
Santa Rosalia			1637	It servedMission San Miguel de Ures.	[77]
Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Baviácora			1638	It was originally founded as a head mission, with a visita atSan Pedro Aconchi. Later, it became a visita of Aconchi.	[78]
Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Nacámeri			1638	It servedMission San Miguel de Ures,Mission Nuestra Señora del Populo del Seri, andMission Nuestra Señora de la Ascención de Opodepe, in chronological order.	[81]
San Pedro Aconchi			1639	It was initially founded as a visita ofMission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Baviácora. Over time, that mission became its visita.	[84]
San Lorenzo de Güepaca			1639	Also known as San Lorenzo de Huépac, it had a visita atNuestra Señora de los Remedios de Banámichi. Later, it became a visita of Banámichi.	[74]
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Beramitzi		30.00765, -110.21768	1639	Also known asNuestra Señora de los Remedios de Banámichi. It originally servedMission San Lorenzo de Güepaca. It eventually became a head mission, with the mission it used to serve (Guepaca) as its visita.	[84]
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Opodepe			1644	Originally servedMission Los Santos Reyes de Cucurpe. In 1762, it became a mission, withNuestra Señora del Rosario de Nacameri as its visita.	[79]
San Luis Gonzága de Bacadéhuachi			1645	It servedMission Nuestra Señora de Nácori Chico. Eventually, it became a mission with two visitas (one of them being San Ignacio Mochapa).	[82]
Santo Tomás de Serva			1645	It servedMission Nuestra Señora de Nácori Chico.	[80]
San Ignacio Mochapa			1645	It servedMission San Luis Gonzága de Bacadéhuachi	[85]
San Miguel de Bavispe			1645	It servedMission Santa María de Baserac. It may have become a head mission.	[78]
San Juan Evangelista de Huachinera			1645	Originally servedMission Santa María de Baserac. It became a mission by 1688 and had one visita.	[74]
San Ignacio de Oputo			1645	It servedMission San Francisco Xavier de Guásavas.	[79]
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Cumpas			1645	It originally servedMission San Miguel Arcángel de Oposura, then servedMission San Francisco Xavier de Guásavas.	[76]
San Ignacio de Sinoquipe			1646	It servedMission Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Beramitzi. The church was being restored during 1955 and 1956.	[80]
San Miguel Tuape			1647	It servedMission Los Santos Reyes de Cucurpe.
San Miguel Bacoachi			1648	It servedMission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Arizpe.	[82]
San José de Chinapa			1648	It servedMission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Arizpe. Briefly an independent mission.	[76]
Santa Rosa de Tebadéguachi			1653	It servedMission (Nuestro Padre) San Ignacio de Cuquiarachi.
Guadalupe de T(e)uricachi			1653	It servedMission (Nuestro Padre) San Ignacio de Cuquiarachi.	[83]
San Francisco Xavier de Rebeico			1673	It servedMission San José de Mátape.	[77]
San Ildefonso de Yécora			1673	It originally servedMission Santa Rosalia de Onapa. Later it had a visita at San Francisco Xavier de Maicoba.	[86]
San Francisco Xavier de Maicoba			1676	It servedMission San Ildefonso de Yécora.	[85]
San José de Imuris			1687	It servedMission (Nuestro Padre) de San Ignacio de Cabórica.	[85]
San Juan de Bisani(n)g			Likely 1690's	It servedMission La Purísima Concepción de Nuestra Señora de Caborca. On Valentine's Day, 1694, it became a mission, and was named San Valentin del Bizani. However, it stayed as a visita for most of its life after.	[87][88]
Santa María Magdalena		30.6302, -110.9734	1690	It servedMission (Nuestro Padre) de San Ignacio de Cabórica. It may have had a visita at one point.	[85][89][90]
San Antonio (Paduano) de(l) Oquitoa		30.74371, -111.73494	1690	Founded byFather Eusebio Kino as a visita toMission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama. In 1756 it was a visita ofMission Santa Teresa de Atil.	[79][91]
Santa Teresa de Atil			1692	It servedMission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama.
San Diego del Pitiquito		30.67504, -112.05761	1694	It servedMission La Purísima Concepción de Nuestra Señora de Caborca.	[79][92]
San Lázaro			1695	It servedMission Santa María Suamca.	[93][77]
San Luis Baconacos			1697	At various times, it servedMission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. Originally,Father Eusebio Kino founded a ranch here, and by 1706 its church was built.	[78]
Santa María de Bugota/Santa María de Suamca			1698	It servedMission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera. Founded by Father Eusebio Kino. He said the first mass there in 1698, but the actual church was built in 1706.	[94]
San Ambrosio del Busanic y Tucubavia			1698	It servedMission Santa Gertrudis del Sáric.	[94]
San Bernardo de Aquimuri			Between 1700-1701	Founded byFather Eusebio Kino. It servedMission Santa Gertrudis del Sáric. By 1706, a church was built here, and stood till at least 1772.	[82]
San Ildefonso de Ostimuri				It servedMission Santa Rosalia de Onapa.	[79]

• Estancia – Spanish colonial ranch
• Reductions

• Spanish missions in California
• Roman Catholic church buildings in California

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• Incomplete lists from November 2024