Father Juan De Padilla, Martyr for the Faith
N 38° 40.482 W 096° 56.717
14S E 678741 N 4282681
Father Juan De Padilla died as a martyr for his faith at this spot in 1542. This obelisk is found in the Father Padilla Memorial Park. Entrance into the park is near 449 North Broadway, Herington, KS 67449.
Waymark Code: WM120Q9
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 01/25/2020
Views: 2
The city of Herington, Kansas is in both Dickenson County and Morris county of Kansas. Within Herington, KS is a park named Father Padilla Memorial Park in which is found a monolithic monument dedicated to the martyrdom of Father Juan De Padilla, who was killed while trying to defend against an Indian attack of the tribe of Indians he had been trying to convert to his Catholic faith. Padilla had previously been a soldier and after becoming a priest, held positions of authority in the local Catholic church in Mexico. He joined Coronado's expedition of New Mexico in 1540 to try to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism. Padilla had heard stories of a city named Quiviran that reportedly had riches of gold and silver. Coronado sent a group of his soldiers and Padilla off to find this city of Quiviran and report back. This expeditionary group of did eventually find the Quiviran Indian village after searching Oklahoma and Kansas for them. Father Padilla returned to Coronado's main expiration which then returned back to their Spanish settlement. However, Father Padilla and three others decided to leave Coronado's explorations and return to the Quiviran Indian village to continue their spiritual ministry there. His ministry with the Quivirans was successful but when Padilla decided to expand his ministry to other surrounding indigenous tribes, the Quiviran Indians attacked him and killed him. Father Padilla thus became the first known missionary and the first known martyr in what is now the United States. The exact location of Father Padilla's death or burial is unknown but the memorial monument is in the middle of his namesake park in Herington, KS.
The Father Padilla Memorial Park is the location of the memorial oblisk. The dark gray obelisk was installed and dedicated on October 26, 1904. Within this park is also a WPA swimming pool, the headwater springs of Lime Creek, a cluster of World War 2 memorial markers and a disc golf course.
Mention of Padilla's monument in the park in Herington, KS in a site about Dickenson county:
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Summary of Juan De Padilla's life in Kansas:
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Link to information about the Quiviran Indians:
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