Francis X. Hezel, SJ
This short booklet traces in simple language island links with the past. It tries to show the general route, geographical and cultural, from island Micronesia all the way back to Africa some 50,000 years earlier. The history is broken down into five segments, although the trail sometimes fades away for long periods.
Reduction of the Marianas: Resettlement into Villages under the Spanish
Francis X. Hezel, SJ
Once hostilities ended during the early mission period, the Spanish began resettling the population, greatly diminished by disease, into villages. The period of resettlement lasted half a century (1680-1730). This booklet explores the purpose and the process of resettlement. It also explores how the new village might be compared to the old in terms of layout and cultural practices.
Francis X. Hezel, SJ
German colonial rule in the region was short—30 years in the Marshalls and only 15 years everywhere else—but it made a significant impact on most island groups. This short work reviews the major accomplishments of the Germans in each island group. It also offers photographs of the period, many previously unpublished, from the German Capuchin Archives.
When Cultures Clash: Revisiting the ‘Spanish-Chamorro Wars’
Francis X. Hezel, SJ
The arrival of Spanish missionaries to the Marianas in 1668 was a first in Pacific Island history; it signaled the beginning of intense Western presence in the islands. The troubled years that followed, marked by intermittent outbreaks of violence, came to be known as the “Spanish-Chamorro Wars.” According to the standard textbooks, this thirty-year period was one of utter devastation–forced conversion, rapid cultural change, precipitous population decline, and loss of Chamorro identity. Or was it? This book seeks to offer a better grounded and more nuanced understanding of this critical period of initial Western contact in the Pacific.
The Catholic Church in Micronesia
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
A simply told story of the founding and growth of the Catholic Church in each island group, with lists of missionary personnel, local clergy, and parish churches appended. This book was prepared for the centennial of the church in each island group.
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
The fifty year period between 1690 and 1740 is extremely significant in the history of the Mariana Islands, although it has heretofore received little scholarly attention. Utilizing contemporary letters and reports penned by Jesuit missionaries who served in the islands, this book examines the major events of this period and their effects on traditional Chamorro society.
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
The sunken Japanese fleet in Chuuk has become a world famous diving attraction for scuba enthusiasts. The sunken ships, bombed during the US counteroffensive against Japan in 1944, constitute a museum and a valuable asset for the Federated States of Micronesia. This book is an introduction to this museum, as well as to the events that produced the museum and the efforts that have made to preserve it from the depredations of humans and nature.
The First Taint of Civilization
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
A spirited tale of early exchanges between Micronesians and the West–from early Spanish explorers through 19th century whalers, traders, missionaries and beachcombers to the warship captains that planted the first foreign flags on the islands.
History of the Caroline Islands
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
The history of the diocese is a journey from the first Catholic evangelization of the Carolines in the late nineteenth century up to the present day. It is a celebration of the growth of a church that has by now developed island cultural roots even as it has been brought under the leadership of Micronesians. The text is supplemented by many historical photos and a section on each of the parishes in the diocese.
Micronesian Government: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
This textbook focuses less on how the modern democratic government operates today than on how it evolved over time. It begins with the traditional authority systems in different island groups and then tracks the changes that impacted up to the present.
