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CALIFORNIA MISSIONS
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
- founded on July 16, 1769 by Father Junipero Serra, secularized in 1834, returned to the Church in 1862
- located six miles from the city of San Diego on Presidio Hill overlooking Mission Valley
- named for Saint Didacus of Alcalá
Mission San Diego is the oldest mission in California, and the first link in the "chain" of missions that stretch 650 miles along the El Camino Real.
In 1774, the Mission was relocated six miles inland to Nipaguay. The following year, Mission San Diego was re-established on Presidio Hill. After the Mission was secularized in 1835, the U.S. military used the buildings to house troops during the close of the Mexican War.
The Mission was returned to the church in 1862, and restoration was completed in 1913. The original tower collapsed long ago, and the new bell tower features five bells.
Today, the Mission is an active Catholic parish and cultural center.
 The Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá Website
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Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo
- founded on June 3, 1770 by Father Junipero Serra, secularized in 1834
- located a few miles south of the city of Carmel
- named for Saint Charles Borromeo of Carmel
Father Serra established the headquarters for his California missionary work here. Upon his in death in 1784, Father Serra was buried in the church sanctuary beside the altar.
The original buildings were wooden structures made from the surrounding pine and cypress trees. In 1793, Father Junipero Fermin Lasuen brought a master stone mason from Mexico, Manuel Estevan Ruiz, to work on Father Serra's dream of a stone church. The present day church is unique in its two individual towers; one is topped with a Moorish dome. In 1960, Pope John XXIII designated the Mission church a Minor Basilica.
Mission San Carlos contained the first library in California, amassing over 2,000 volumes by 1820. Today, the Mission serves as a parish church.
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Mission San Antonio de Padua
- founded on July 14, 1771 by Father Junipero Serra, secularized in 1834
- located within the Fort Hunter Ligget Military Reservation in Monterey County
- named for St. Anthony of Padua
In 1773, the Mission was moved north from its original site to take advantage of the water supply from the San Antonio River. Construction on the present church began in 1810, and it was the first Mission to have a red tile roof.
In 1948, the Hearst Foundation and the Franciscans of California funded restoration for all the Mission buildings. The Mission's authentic facade is made of decorative clay brick and houses three church bells. The center bell was actually rung by Father Serra on the Mission's founding day.
*The first wedding in the state of California took place at Mission San Antonio on May 16, 1773.
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Mission San Gabriel, Arcángel
- founded on September 8, 1771 by Father Pedro Cambón and Father Angel Somera, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1859
- located on Junipero Street and West Union Drive in the city of San Gabriel
- named for St. Gabriel the Archangel
The Mission’s unique Moorish design was inspired by the Cathedral at Cordova, Spain, which was formerly a mosque. The original roof was made of vaulted stone, but an earthquake cracked the roof, and it was replaced with timber gable in 1803. Otherwise, the church is closer to its original condition than any other mission in the state.
The Mission was very prosperous due to the vast agricultural lands it controlled, its location at the crossroads of three major land routes, and the Fathers’ relationship with the local Shoshone tribe. However, when the Mission was secularized in 1833 under the new Mexican government, the lands were lost, and the Franciscan Fathers were gone by 1852.
In 1908, the Mission was restored by Claretian Missionaries.
City of San Gabriel Website: The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
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Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
- founded on September 1, 1772 by Father Junipero Serra, secularized in 1835, sold in 1845, returned to the Church in 1859
- located on Monterey St. between Chorro and Broad, in San Luis Obispo
- named for St. Louis of Tolosa
Built by Chumash Indians, its combination belfry and vestibule is unique among the California missions. It initially had thatched roofs which were changed to clay tile after Indian attackers, using flaming arrows, set the buildings on fire.
In 1793, construction on the present church was finished, and its facade with three bells was completed in 1820. After the Mission was secularized in 1834, the buildings were abandoned and allowed to deteriorate. When the Mission was returned to the Catholic Church in 1859, the buildings were remodeled and painted, and a New England style steeple was added. In 1934, the steeple was removed, and the church was restored to its earlier appearance.
Mission San Luis Obispo Website
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Mission San Francisco de Asís
- founded on October 9, 1776 by Father Francisco Palóu, secularized in 1834, returned to the Church in 1857
- located on Dolores St. between 16th and 17th in San Francisco
- named for St. Francis de Asís
The Mission was named for St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Order of Friars Minor. It is also known as “Mission Dolores,” since it was founded near a stream named Arroyo de los Dolores (Our Lady of the Sorrows).
The present church was built in 1782, using adobe and redwood timbers from Monterey. The church’s facade was built in 1810. The mission was not abandoned like many of the other missions after secularization. The church was used for many different purposes, and was maintained faithfully. The building even survived the 1906 earthquake.
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Mission San Juan de Capistrano
- founded on November 1, 1776 by Father Junipero Serra, sold in 1845
- located in the city of San Juan Capistrano on Interstate 5 just off U.S. Highway 101
- named after St. Juan of Capistrano
The “Jewel of the Missions” is also the most famous because of the annual migration of swallows from Central America, which is celebrated every year on St. Joseph’s Day (March 19th) with the ringing of the mission bells.
The adobe church built in 1777, is known as “Father Serra’s Chapel” and is the only mission church left in which Father Serra celebrated mass.
In 1796, a huge stone church was built with seven masonry domes, a vaulted ceiling, and side arches along the nave. It took nine years to build, but was only used for six years because an earthquake in 1812 destroyed the church. It was never rebuilt, but you can still see the ruins today.
The Official Website of Mission San Juan Capistrano
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Mission Santa Clara de Asís
- founded on January 12, 1777 by Father Junipero Serra, secularized in 1836
- located on the University of Santa Clara Campus
- named for Clara of Assisi
Mission Santa Clara was the first California mission to honor a woman, Clare of Assisi, as its patron saint. Throughout its history, the Mission has relocated four times due to floods and earthquakes, and was rebuilt seven times (twice due to fire). But in spite of its many trials, the Mission became one of the most successful in the whole chain due to the Fathers’ management, and the abundant crops produced on the land nearby the Guadalupe River.
In 1851, the mission was taken over by the Jesuits to establish a school. Four years later, it became Santa Clara College. Another series of fires, the last in 1926, completely destroyed the building. The present day church was built in 1929, and is located at the center of what is now the University of Santa Clara campus, serving as a parish church and a college chapel.
Santa Clara University Website: Mission Santa Clara Virtual Tour
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Mission San Buenaventura
- founded on March 31, 1782 by Father Junipero Serra, secularized in 1836, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1862
- located just east of U.S. Highway 101 in the city of Ventura
- named for St. Good Fortune
This was the last mission founded by Father Serra. The Mission sat on a coastal area surrounded by about 20,000 Chumash Indians, who were skilled boat builders and fishermen. It had a reservoir and aqueduct system that stretched seven miles from the Ventura River. The abundant variety of fruits and tropical plants they produced made San Buenaventura very prosperous.
The first church burned down in 1792, and was replaced in 1809 with the present day stone structure. There was some damage from an earthquake in 1812, but almost four years of repairs and reconstruction saved the church. Most of the mission lands were sold to settlers after secularization. The church building was returned to the Catholic Church sixteen years later.
An attempt to modernize the building covered over the beamed ceilings and whitewashed over the original Indian artwork. In 1957, the church was restored to its original appearance as much as possible.
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Mission Santa Bárbara, Virgin y Mártir
- founded on December 4, 1786 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1834, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1865
- located on a hill at the end of Laguna Street, overlooking the city of Santa Barbara
- named for St. Barbara
Santa Bárbara was the first mission founded by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, Father Serra's successor as President of the California Missions. It is also the only California mission that has been under the continuous control of the Franciscan Fathers since its founding.
The Mission had an elaborate water system that included two large reservoirs that served the kitchen, laundry, flour mill, hospital, and the fields and orchards. Parts of the system exist today as part of the municipal water system.
Mission Santa Bárbara is the only one in the chain with twin towers. The first tower was completed at the time of the dedication in 1820, and the second tower was completed in 1833. In 1925, one of the towers and the second floor of the monastery were destroyed in an earthquake. The facade and towers were rebuilt in 1927, and again in 1950 using concrete bricks to replace the adobe.
Santa Barbara.com: Santa Bárbara Mission Webpage
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Mission La Purísima Concepción
- founded on December 8, 1787 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1834, sold in 1845
- located in the city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County
- name means The Pure Conception
By 1800, the Mission had over 20,000 head of livestock and was the third largest agricultural producer of all the missions. In 1812, all the wood and mud-plaster buildings of the Mission were leveled by the same earthquake that damaged the large church in Mission San Juan de Capistrano. A natural dam nearby broke, and the ruins were flooded.
The present mission is actually four miles southwest of the original site. La Purisima’s new buildings were laid out in straight lines for easier evacuation in case of another catastrophe, and is the only mission so arranged. Despite its earlier prosperity, the Mission fell apart after secularization.
The Union Oil Company acquired some of the land and donated it so it could be restored. The Mission is now a State Historic Monument, rebuilt by the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps.
La Purísima Mission State Historic Park Website
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Mission Santa Cruz
- founded on September 25, 1791 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1834
- located on Mission Hill overlooking the city of Santa Cruz on the north shore of Monterey Bay
- name means St. Cross
The original mission was built where the San Lorenzo River flows into Monterey Bay. Despite its fertile land, plentiful wild game, and friendly Indians, Mission Santa Cruz faced many difficulties. Rain, high winds, and floods took their toll on the buildings. Renegade Indians, pirates, and looters from nearby Branciforte, the state's third pueblo, caused further damage.
Six years after secularization, an earthquake destroyed the church so that by 1846, there was nothing left for Governor Pico to sell. Another earthquake in 1857 finished off the remaining walls. Today, a two-thirds scale replica built in 1931 is all that is left.
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Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
- founded on October 9, 1791 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1835, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1859
- located in the Salinas River valley, 3 miles south of the town of Soledad and 1 mile west of U.S. Highway 101 in Monterey County
- named for Our Lady of Loneliness
The Mission was named after Our Lady of Solitude, which was fitting for such an isolated location; a dry, windy plain that was very hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. Many Fathers asked to be relocated to other missions, complaining of rheumatism and poor health.
In 1824, and again in 1828, the Salinas River flooded the area. Three years later, the church collapsed, and a store house was converted to a chapel. The church claims the distinction of being the first built with a thatched adobe roof. In 1835, the Mission closed after Father Sarria, who operated the Mission by himself, died a year after secularization.
The Native Daughters of the Golden West began restoring the mission in 1954. After over a century of decay, only one wall was left intact among the adobe ruins. Today, there is a rebuilt chapel and a small wing of seven rooms.
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Mission San José
- founded on June 11, 1797 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1834, sold in 1846, returned to the church in 1865
- located 15 miles northeast of the city of San Jose on State Highway 21
- named for St. Joseph
Mission San José was the most successful mission in Northern California. Father Narciso Duran directed the mission for 27 years, and oversaw over 20,000 head of cattle and sheep, an agricultural output second only to Mission San Gabriel, and a thirty-piece orchestra made up of Christianized Indians.
The Mission suffered the familiar decline after secularization, which came to an abrupt end after an 1868 earthquake devastated all five acres. In 1869, a wooden church was built on the original foundation. In 1982, the entire church structure was relocated to Burlingame. Three years later, Mission San Jose was completely restored, using authentic adobe bricks, and tools used at the time of its original founding.
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Mission San Juan Bautista
- founded on June 24, 1797 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1835
- located 17 miles north of the city of Salinas in the town of San Juan Bautista, four miles off U.S. Highway 101 in San Benito County
- named for St. John the Baptist
Despite the Mission’s location right on the San Andreas fault, it has continuously served as a parish church since its founding. The entire complex was built within six months. When an earthquake damaged the original church in 1800, it was enlarged during the rebuilding. At the time, over 500 Indians were living at the Mission.
Three years later, an even larger church, the one that stands today, was built. It was the first to have three naves side by side to accommodate 1,000 worshipers. When the new church was completed in 1812, it was the largest and only one of its kind at the time. Unfortunately, the Indian population was reduced by half by the time the church was finished, so the arches which separated the naves were walled up to form a smaller church. When another earthquake hit in 1906, the walled arches saved the main church from considerable damage.
In 1915, a wind storm damaged the wooden steeple, so a shorter version was built, only to be modified again into a more Mission style stucco tower. From 1949-1950, the Hearst foundation financed the Mission’s restoration, and the stucco tower was removed. During the 1975-1976 restoration, the San Juan Bautista Fiesta Committee removed the walls that separated the three naves, and a whole new tower was constructed. Once again, Mission San Juan Bautista is the largest of the California mission churches.
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Mission San Miguel de Arcángel
- founded on July 25, 1797 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1859
- located on old U.S. Highway 101, 8 miles north of the city of Paso Robles
- named for Michael the Archangel
Construction on the present day church began in 1816. Local Indians had begun making adobe bricks six years earlier, and large timbers were also cut and hauled from pine forests 40 miles away. The building was finished in two years.
In 1823, Esteban Munras, an artist from Spain, arrived to teach and direct Indians in painting the interior of the church. The elaborate fresco work, which includes false balconies and pillars, archways, and imitation marble, can be seen today. A unique feature of the Mission is the different size arches in front of the monastery. Each one is different from the next in size and shape, although there is a definite symmetrical pattern about the centerline.
Mission San Miguel, California Website
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Mission San Fernando Rey de España
- founded on September 8, 1797 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1834, returned to the Church in 1861
- located on Mission Drive, 1 1/2 miles west of the city of San Fernando
- named for St. Ferdinand III, King of Spain
The Mission was founded on a private rancho owned by Don Francisco Reyes, a Spanish settler who eventually donated the land. Less than a day away from the growing pueblo of Los Angeles, it became the most popular stop for travelers. The high traffic resulted in the construction of a two-story hospice that grew to 243 feet in length. Known as the “long building,” it is the largest original structure in the Mission Chain, and the largest adobe building in California.
Repairs to the large church were made after the earthquake of 1812 caused considerable damage. At its most productive, Mission San Fernando produced wine from over 30,000 grapevines, operated a large trade in hides and tallow, and managed more than 21,000 head of livestock.
In 1843, gold was discovered on one of the outer ranchos, five years before the California Gold Rush. The Mission soon became overrun with prospectors. After secularization, the roof tiles were removed for use on other buildings, and vandals dug up the church floor in search of more gold.
The mission was damaged beyond repair during the 1971 earthquake. A replica was dedicated in 1974.
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 Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
- founded on June 13, 1798 by Father Fermín de Lasuén, secularized in 1834, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1865
- located in North San Diego County
- named for St. Louis IX, King of France
The large church that exists today was built from 1811-1815. Like the church in San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Luis Rey’s was built in the form of a cross, with a dome roof over the octagonal baptistry, and another dome over the cross. The mission was designed by Father Antonio Peyri, who also supervised the construction of an open-air laundry, bath facilities, extensive gardens, and the intricate aqueduct system that provided pools of charcoal-filtered water throughout the Mission complex.
After secularization, the Mission was sold in 1846. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed a decree returning the mission to the church. Franciscan Fathers established a seminary in 1893, and restoration projects continued on and off up until 1950.
Today, it is still a working mission, with a cemetery, museum, and church, where weekly mass, funerals, weddings, and concerts are held.
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia Website
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Mission Santa Inés, Virgin y Mártir
- founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estevan Tápis, secularized in 1834, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1862
- located in the Santa Ines River Valley
- named for St. Inez
In 1812, many of the buildings were destroyed by the same strong earthquake that damaged Mission San Juan Capistrano, among others. It took five years to reconstruct the church. In the meantime, a long building was quickly built as a temporary church, and later used as a granary.
After secularization, the Mission was saved by an agreement between the Governor and the Bishop to open a college. The College of Our Lady of Refuge opened in 1944, becoming the first college in California. It changed location in 1946, and closed in 1881. Due to financial problems, the Bishop sold 20,000 acres, reducing the Mission to half its size.
In 1904, restoration began on behalf of Father Alexander Buckler. He directed construction of a water and drainage system, reinforced the crumbling living quarters, and rebuilt the collapsed bell tower. After Father Buckler’s retirement, the Capuchin Franciscan Order of monks took over the Mission.
Today, the Mission Santa Inés Museum has many paintings, manuscripts, and other artifacts on display.
Old Mission Santa Inés Website
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Mission San Rafael Arcángel
- founded on December 14, 1817 by Father Vincente de Sarria, secularized in 1834, sold in 1846, returned to the Church in 1855
- located in the city of San Rafael
- named for Rafael the Archangel
Founded as a branch of Mission Dolores, San Rafael served as a convalescent hospital for the many sick neophytes (Christianized Indians) who were unaccustomed to the cold climate. Named after tha archangel Raphael, whose name means “God’s healing power,” it was given full mission status in 1823. Father Luis Gil y Toboado, who was the only Father in California with medical training, successfully ran the Mission hospital.
The Mission buildings were modest, and consisted of a church with a long wing to house the Fathers, workshops, storerooms, and hospital wards.
When the Mission was secularized, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo took over the lands and livestock. In 1870, the buildings were sold off, and the large handhewn beams were salvaged. In 1949, a replica was built with a donation from the Hearst Foundation.
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Mission San Francisco de Solano
- founded on July 4, 1823 by Father Jose Altimira, secularized in 1834, sold in 1880
- located in the town of Sonoma, 20 miles north of San Francisco on State Highway 12
- named for St. Francis of Solano
Mission San Francisco was the last and northernmost California mission. It was also the only mission founded without the prior approval of the Church. The present chapel was built in 1840, and has been restored many times. The Landmarks League purchased the chapel in 1903, but it suffered further damage during the 1906 earthquake.
In 1926, it was purchased by William Randolph Hearst, who restored it in 1944, and then donated it to the state.
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(sources: California Missions Foundation Website; "Live Again: Our Mission Past" by G. Kuska and B. Linse; "The Decoration of the California Missions" by N. Neuerberg)
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