Comments on: Book Review: Discovering a Lost Heritage: The Catholic Origins of America

By: Adam Miller

Adam Miller — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:18:00 +0000

Mr. Crews, Yes, the Catholic missions in both Carolinas (and Georgia as well) are covered in Chapter 3 of the work. The first one being San Muguel de Guadalupe (est. 1526), which has the distinction of being the first European settlement in America after Columbus came. Even before then, in 1520, a large cross was erected near today’s Cape Fear, where the region was claimed for Spain by the Gordillo and Quexos expedition.

During the 1560s, numerous mission/settlements were established. They were amazingly successful by the beginning of the 17th century in converting the local Indians. The sad details of what eventually happened to them and their inhabitants are also covered.

Thank you for your interest, and much thanks to Eleonore for the excellent review and helping to spark more interest in this much needed work.

In JMJ,

Adam Miller, author/publisher
Tower of David Publications/Marian Publications, Inc.

By: HaroldCrews

HaroldCrews — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:01:18 +0000

Was there any mention of the Catholic missions in South Carolina in the book?

By: Eleonore

Eleonore — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:23:39 +0000

Mr. Sifdol, I appreciate your comments. Of course, there were abuses during the time of La Conquista. Given the fallen nature of man through original sin and the opportunities the adventures in the New World offered soldiers of fortune a “get rich quick” deal, there were the problems you mention, just as there were excesses during the time of the Crusades. Thanks to courageous churchmen like Father Las Casas there were loud voices helping to put an end to the abuses. As Mr. Miller explains in his book, many of the early conquistadores had the interest of converting the pagan indigenous peoples to Christianity, thus ending their abuse of each other. You seem to be of very good will. Thank you!

We need to pray for Mexico. She has been greatly abused by some of her own people in an effort to create a Godless society. Where Our Lady of Guadalupe reigns, however, I don’t think that will happen.

By: Eleonore

Eleonore — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:11:34 +0000

As a correction to my review, I offer the following: After several readers questioned the existence of NEW Salem, NH, I called the author, Adam Miller. Mr. Miller was gracious to check his notes and noted that the name of the town is actually NORTH Salem, NH. In the area of Salem (and North Salem), NH, there is an attraction called “America’s Stonehenge.” Checking the website, I discovered that one can visit this attraction (for a fee) and learn of the evidence of people living there as far back as 4,000 years ago. It is just a few miles inland from NH’s short coastline, to the southeast of Manchester. Mr. Miller and I regret the error.

By: Raymond L. Sifdol

Raymond L. Sifdol — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:58:29 +0000

Thank you for mentioning the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. What Mexico was forced to give away to the United States as a result of the unjust Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848 was: All of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona. Half od Colorado and slices of Wyoming and Oklahoma.

It would certainly be interesting to speculate on what Mexico would be like today if all the above mentioned land had not been removed from their nation. However, (always a great “qualifying” word) even if Mexico had won the war, or it never happened, would it still be a product of the Roman Catholic Church OR the Freemasons today?

Thank you.

Ray Sifdol

By: Raymond L. Sifdol

Raymond L. Sifdol — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:14:40 +0000

I appreciate your article, and to a great extent agree with it. However, I need to make a comment, which is not meant to be argumentive, or to belittle your comments in any way.

I think it needs to be mentioned that the Spanish Conquest of the New World was not without a great deal of cruelty to the Native Peoples in many cases. There were a great many abuses with forced labor and so on. If there had not been, then it would not have been necessary for Father Bartholomew de Las Casas (1474-1566) to protest them until the end of his life. And of course there were the successful Jesuit missions in Paraguay that were ruined with the complicity of the settlers and some higher authorities in the church itself.

With that said, I believe it is important to mention this. It is also important to mention that the initial Spanish conquests, in Mexico for example, at least ended the mass murder of people and cannibalism as sacrifices to pagan Aztec gods.

Thanks again for your article.

Respectfully,

Ray Sifdol