In the early 1600s, in the Rio de la Plata region of South America—today’s Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil—Jesuit priest Roque González worked among the Guaraní people who trusted him enough to call him Pa’i Roque, their own word for priest.
Life in the missions was fragile. Raids, fires, and sudden conflict could damage a whole community overnight. In most mission settlements of that time, the usual response was clear: rebuild the chapel first. The chapel served as the center of the town, the place for prayer, teaching, meetings, and even storage. Restoring it meant restoring order.
But Roque did not start with structures.
Jesuit letters describe him as the kind of priest who checked on people before anything else—who was hurt, who had food, who had lost shelter, and which families needed immediate help. He believed a mission was not defined by buildings. It lived or died through the people who formed it.
So when trouble came, Pa’i Roque focused on stabilizing the community. He organized food, found temporary shelter, and made sure families could recover before larger rebuilding began. Only after the people were safe did he turn to the chapel or any other structure.
That is why the Guaraní trusted him. He didn’t lead from above.
He stood beside them—with their worries, their needs, and their hope.
Pa’i Roque was not just a priest in their land.
He was a priest on their side.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
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