Career
In 1804 he sailed to the New World to join the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico, a springboard for all missionaries doing work in New Spain. There he received further instruction and preparation for his assignment to Mission Santa Cruz. Sailing from San Blas in 1805, he arrived at Monterey, capital of Spanish Alta California, and became one of two missionary fathers stationed at Mission Santa Cruz.
He was killed at the mission on the evening of October 12, 1812, by Indians under his care.
The following notation appears on his burial record: " the province of Cantabria. OFM Brother José Casa Viader, minister of Mission Santa Clara, sang the mass over his body, accompanied by OFM Brother
Narciso Durán, minister of Mission San José, who learned of his passing and came to this mission. The deceased was found early in the morning dead in his bed of natural causes.
A more thorough investigation was ordered by the military governor.
During this investigation it was learned that he had been suffocated by Christian Indians of this mission and Santa Clara. was summoned to the orchard of this mission where a patient feigned illness, and there he was suffocated." According to another source, Brother Andrés was murdered because of his plans to use a metal-tipped whip to punish Indian converts. He is considered one of two martyr priests who served in the coastal missions of California. The publication of this oral history given by Lorenzo Asisara in 1878 by scholar and native American Edward Castillo in 1989 was counted as proof that Spaniards treated Indians with brutality at missions.
Later, the story was immortalized in at least one novel.
