Paul Maroni

From the Catholic Encyclopedia

Missionary, b. 1 Nov., 1695. He entered the Austrian province of the Jesuits on 27 Oct., 1712, and, like many German and Austrian missionaries of that time, went in 1723 on the mission in Upper Marañon that belonged to the Quito province of the order. He worked for several years as professor of theology at Quito and then with great success as Indian missionary on the rivers Napo and Aguarico, converting a number of tribes to the Christian faith and founding a series of new reduciónes (i.e. settlements of converted Indians). At the same time he did great service in carefully exploring those regions, services which were duly acknowledged by the French geographer La Condamine, (see "Journal des Savants", Paris, March, 1750, 183). Maroni left behind him a number of valuable works which have only recently been published. Two of them are: "Diario de la entrada que hizo el P. Pablo Maroni de Ia C. d. J. por el rio coriño ó Pastaza . . . el año 1737", published by P. Sanvicente, S. J. in "El Industrial" (Quito, 1895), año IV., num 132, 133, 135; as also the "Noticias autenticas del famoso rio Marañon y misión apóstolica de la Compañia de Jesús de la provincia de Quito en los dilatados bosques de dicho rio escribilas por los anos de 1738 un misinero de la misma compania y las publicas ahora por primera vez Marcos Jimenez de la Espada" (Madrid, 1889), with maps drawn up by Maroni.

Neuer Welt-Bott, No 210, 282, 333, 565; CHANTREY-HERERA, Hist. de las Misiones de la Compania de J. en el Maranon Espanol (Madrid, 1901).

A. HUONDER