The Jesuit ministry, founded in 1540, secured a strong foothold in 
both South and North America by the end of the seventeenth 
century.  However, while the Jesuits believed they were making 
significant headway in the conversion of Indians to Christianity, the 
Indians continued to cling to their multilayered beliefs and totems.  
Most Indians believed the Jesuits were merely introducing yet 
another deity into their religion, and they found it difficult to accept 
the idea of one God preeminent over all others.  Nonetheless, Indians 
were often curious enough about Jesuit rituals to observe and 
participate in them without always fully understanding their 
purpose.  Pictured here is a Jesuit missionary baptizing an Indian 
child.