Change of Habit: Catechism and Education for Indians in Capuchin Missions

Archival documents & letters support a historical analysis of the education system established by the Italian Capuchin friars for Indian children in the Parana Province (now Minas Gerais) of the Brazilian empire, 1845-1891, examining the evangelical process & its relationship to 19th-century development. Under the Evangelization & Civilization Regulations of 1845, the Capuchin missionaries set up 26 schools to teach catechism to the indigenous children in the province's rural settlements & cities. In addition, a cane brandy distillery was set up through the missions. This enterprise, along with school development, epitomized the combined effect of the evangelical & civilization processes on indigenous peoples, establishing the primary socioeconomic basis for the Indians' relationship with the Capuchin missionaries & Western ideology. 25 References. Adapted from the source document.