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Night At The Museum Thursday, May 9
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April 22, 2024Amarillo—For the first time since 2001, a pageant depicting Coronado’s expedition through Palo Duro Canyon and the first Mass of Thanksgiving on May 26, 1541 will be performed in public.
The performance of Coronado and Fray Juan de Padilla is part of the latest Night at the Museum, presented by the Catholic Historical Society of the Diocese of Amarillo. The evening begins at 6:00 on the grounds of the Diocesan Pastoral Center at 4512 NE 24th Ave.
“History changed in 1541 when Europeans entered the Panhandle Plains for the first time,” said Susan Garner, archivist and curator for the Diocese of Amarillo and president of the Catholic Historical Society. “The Coronado Expedition had three purposes: first, to extend the district of Spain in the New World. On foot and horseback, the members traveled from the corner off California to the middle of Kansas to check out stories of gold north of Mexico.
“Second, to make a settlement. The settlement failed. Third, to evangelize the Indians. Franciscan Father Juan de Padilla stayed with the Indians and became the first Christian martyr on United States territory. But Coronado had led the way for future development.”
The pageant was performed in Palo Duro Canyon on Ascension Thursday from the late 1970’s to 2001, according to Garner.
“The Ascension Thursday Mass and Pageant had a special connection with Thanksgiving-Square in Dallas,” she said. “Thanksgiving-Square is a foundation whose purpose is to draw people of different Faiths together through the American theme of Thanksgiving. Peter Stewart of Thanksgiving-Square suggested to then-Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco that he sponsor this Mass. Bishop DeFalco did so and Bishop Leroy T. Matthiesen continued this celebration.”
Father Gabriel E. Garcia, pastor at St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo, will portray Fray Juan de Padilla. Portraying Coronado will be Holy Cross Catholic Academy senior Ivan Sanchez.
Other HCCA students will have roles in the pageant, including:
• Juniors Aaron Irlas and Rylee Detten, as Spaniards;
• Junior Ethan Fetterman as Sopete;
• Sophomore Anthony Prieto as El Turko;
• Junior Kameron Boyd as a Voice from the Crowd; and,
• Sophomore Oscar Vasquez as Mendez, Coronado’s Squire.
There will also be two Tableauxs. The first, At Home in Spain, will feature Holy Cross senior Kelly Le as the mother. Junior Kimberlee Mirelez will play the maid. HCCA seventh grade student Lyla Madrid is the teenage daughter, HCCA sixth grade students Maesyn Beedy and Roonie Sorenson will play two of the three children, with the other child played by seventh grade student Enrique Perez.
The second Tableaux, The Texas Plains, will feature Holy Cross senior Rachel Lane as the mother. HCCA sophomore Isabel Britten and freshman Lily Gladman will play the role of women. The four children are seventh grade student Stark Henderson and sixth grade students Emma Connely, Kenna Witt and Charles Smith.
Men of the Tribe will be portrayed by seven Holy Cross students: senior Gavin McClung, sophomores Ryden Daniel, Paul Houlihan and Peter Weinheimer, and freshmen Ethan Conley, Issac Kunkel and Asher Manning.
Dance Choreographer will be Holy Cross alum Nasayha Estrada.
Following the pageant, Father Garcia will celebrate Mass, with Holy Cross eighth grade student Elizabeth Malek and seventh grade students Stark Henderson and Palmer McLean as Altar Servers. Making up the choir for the Mass are Holy Cross students Bryana Avila, Madeline Britten, Sophie Fulmer, Katie Garcia, William Gottleid, Maggie Houlihan, Chandler Jenkins, Clara Jenkins, Mia Luna, Kouc Malek, Emily Monroe, Fatima Ortiz, Iby Peña, Leah Ramos, Michele Reveles, Abi Santos, Carlee Seidenberger, Tripp Seidenberger, Mary Sillivent, Lily Swick, Fernando Valdez, Madison Valdez, Lizbeth Valdez, Lam Vu and Abbie Walters.
After Mass, the Diocesan Museum will be open to the public, which will include beverages and appetizers that will be served in the DPC Conference Center. Learn more about a Night at the Museum by calling Susan Garner at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 806-414-1076.
