Ruíz de Montoya, Antonio
RUÍZ DE MONTOYA, ANTONIO
Jesuit missionary in Paraguay; b. Lima, Nov. 11, 1583; d. there, April 11, 1653. After having led a not very pious life as a youth, he entered the Society of Jesus (Nov. 11, 1606). He made his novitiate in Córdoba, Argentina, and probably was ordained in 1610, for the following year he was in Paraguay beginning his missionary work. From 1623 to 1637, he was superior of the Paraguayan reductions. During this period, the raids of the Paulistas made it necessary to move the missions. In 1637 he went to Spain to seek royal protection for them. In 1643 he returned to Peru, to whose viceroy fell the duty of carrying out the royal cedulas in favor of the Reductions. He was already on his way to Paraguay when he had to return to Lima to represent the province in the dispute with Bishop Cárdenas. After his death, in accordance with his wishes, his remains were taken to Paraguay and buried in the church of the Reduction of Loreto. In addition to numerous letters and memorials, Ruíz de Montoya wrote four important works: Conquista espiritual (Madrid 1639; new edition, Bilbao 1892), Tesoro de la lengua guaraní (Madrid 1639), Arte y vocabulario de la lengua guaraní (Madrid 1640), and Catecismo de la lengua guaraní (Madrid 1640).
Bibliography: g. furlong, Antonio Ruíz de Montoya y su carta a Comental (1645) (Buenos Aires 1964).
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