Martin Schmid

Martin Schmid, also known as Esmid (September 26, 1694 – March 10, 1772) was a Swiss Jesuit, missionary, musician and architect, who worked mainly in the Chiquitos Province of what is now Bolivia.

His novitiate training was in Landsberg an der Lech, with subsequent theological studies in Hall in Tirol and in Ingolstadt in 1722.

Schmid spent his first ten years between 1730 and 1740 in San Javier, Bolivia, part of the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos.

He also helped to establish a variety of workshops, and introduced several crafts which laid the foundations of later construction activities.

How much involvement Schmid or his staff had in the preparation and decoration of the other churches in the ten villages of Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos, is uncertain.

When Martin Schmid set out to the mission fields, his primary intention was to evangelize the indigenous peoples.

His main job was to strengthen the faith of the already Christianized, indigenous individuals and to make their settlements sustainable.

The Jesuit missionaries felt that this connection succeeded better if more emphasis was placed on the enhancement of liturgical celebrations, as a means of inspiration.

[5] Later, Schmid moved to San Juan Bautista (Santa Cruz) and had the opportunity to engage in direct proselytizing.

After that, they were offered food and supplied with small gifts such as: glass beads, rosaries, knives, scissors, etc.

All villages now have their organ, many violins and double bass made of cedar, clavicordio, spinets, harps, trumpets, shawm.

These Indian boys are foregone musicians; with their singing and playing in the Holy Mass they pay every day the own Thanks and Praise to the Lord.

In 1767, the Jesuits of San Ignacio received an order of expulsion by King Charles III of Spain.

Besides his work as a missionary, Martin Schmid made a significant contribution to the enculturation of the Chiquitos Indians.