The historiography of colonial Latin America has emphasized the central and decisive role of the catholic Church in the conquest, colonization and cultural transformation of the inhabitants of the new world. This paper is an initial step toward understanding the role of the Church in the evangelization of the Muisca Indians in early-colonial New Granada, a topic that has received surprisingly little scholarly attention. A careful analysis of colonial records from Colombia, Spain and Italy suggests that the Church in early colonial New Granada had limited influence in the daily lives of the Muisca inhabitants of Colombia eastern Highlands.