Jesuit Global Mission Network

Timeline

1. c. 1641–1645Rome · RomeThe Roman generalate, through the superior general and assistants, coordinated personnel appointments, funding, and mission strategy across global provinces; the annual Relationes aggregated frontline intelligence from the Americas, Asia, and Africa, forming one of the densest intercontinental communication systems of the early modern era.
2. c. 1642–1648Jiangnan, China, and Goa, India · JiangnanDuring the Ming-Qing transition, Jesuits continued mission work and astronomical and calendrical services in China; the Goa-Macau-Nagasaki route sustained supply lines from South to East Asia, and figures like Martini pushed calendar reform debates in China, embodying the global strategy of combining accommodation with scholarly mission work.
3. c. 1645–1650Jesuit reductions of Paraguay · ParaguayThe Jesuits operated reductions (settlements) in Paraguay and elsewhere, integrating indigenous communities such as the Guaraní through collective labor, education, and defense, while colleges in Mexico and Peru trained local elites, forming a model of Catholic social institutions in the Americas.