In the Catholic town of Baar during Pater Martin Schmid’s time, the Christian faith and the Church is omnipresent. Religion shapes people’s worldview and defines their values and ideals. They attend mass on Sundays and live their lives according to the principles of Christian faith. Faithful Catholics strive for a life full of good deeds in order to reach “divine heaven.” Anyone who turns away from God is threatened with eternal damnation in hell.
The goal of the Jesuits – which Schmid was – is to spread the Catholic faith. In the eyes of the missionaries, people of other faiths must be saved. Thus, the indigenous people should also be guided on the right path in the reductions.