Agustín Quintana

Who was Agustín Quintana?

Agustín Quintana was a missionary and Indian philologist.

Born in Oaxaca, now in Mexico, he entered the Order of Preachers there in 1688, and was soon thereafter sent as missionary priest to the Mixe Indians of southern Oaxaca, among whom he laboured for twenty-eight years, mastering their language to a degree never attained by anyone of European descent.

He was then appointed superior of the convent of Zacavila, but on account of broken health was soon afterward retired to the main convent at Antequera, where he devoted the rest of his life to writings in the Mixe language. These being the earliest publications in that language, in spite of age and infirmity, he made several journeys to Puebla, to supervise the making of several types. His most important work was a grammar and a series of articles on the principal articles of the Faith, under the title "Institución cristiana, que contiene el Arte de la Lengua Mije etc.".

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed.. Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.