Magnificent Mother of the Missions
A couple of years
ago, during our first family visit to
We settled on the very oldest:
Mission San Diego de Alcalá. Founded and blessed by
Blessed Junípero Serra, it could be called the very
soil in which the
Blessed Junípero
was 35 when he left
Situated in
When we arrived at the basilica, for that’s what the church here is, a parishioner was pealing one of the mission’s five companas (bells). What timing. Mass was about to begin.
The mission church is constructed in the traditional Spanish architectural style. With its whitewashed adobe walls and tile flooring, it offered us a cool respite from the afternoon heat.
The mission, we learned later,
draws its name from St. Didacus of Alcalá. To Spaniards, he’s San Diego de Alcalá
de Henares — the man for whom the city of
It was customary for European explorers to name their major discoveries in honor of a saint whose feast day was near. The feast of St. Didacus is Nov. 13.
If Walls Could Talk
Franciscan Father Serra founded the mission on Presidio Hill on July 16, 1769. Seeking better access to potable water and arable land, not to mention more contact with the local Indian villages, the Franciscans relocated the operation to its present site in 1774.
Just one year after the first
church’s completion, on Nov. 4, 1775, tribesmen attacked the mission. All
buildings were burned and Franciscan Father Luis Jayme
was killed. He became the first Christian martyr in
“Thanks be to God,” replied Father Serra when he learned the news on Dec. 13. “Now that the terrain has been watered by blood, the conversion of the San Diego Indians will take place.” It’s said that he then fell to his knees, saying “Sanguis martyrum, semen christianorum” (The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians).
Father Serra returned to the site in 1776 and began to rebuild. This time the priests covered the walls and roofs in adobe (sun-dried brick made of clay and straw) to make the buildings fire-resistant. Most of the re-construction was complete by 1780.
By 1797, the mission had become
During the Mexican occupation of
Then came the Mexican-American War. From 1846 to 1862, the mission was occupied by the U.S. Cavalry. In 1862, the mission lands were given back to the Church by order of President Abraham Lincoln.
The present church went up between 1915 and 1931. It has been used as a parish church since 1941. It was named a basilica by Pope Paul VI in its (and the country’s) bicentennial year, 1976.
Mass and More
We thoroughly enjoyed attending a
parish Mass in a mission church. It was unlike anything we have experienced
back home in
With its narrow dimensions, red
floor, timbered ceiling, bright pastel and terra cotta colors, and its unique
décor, the church helped our children hold still throughout
Afterwards, our family exited into the basilica’s quaint garden, where the Holy Name Coffee Bar was serving coffee and rolls to benefit the school. We spent a good deal of time touring the grounds, which include a museum, pietà garden, small chapel, gift shop, stations of the cross and historical ruins.
We took our time in the
Of great interest to our children
were the archaeological excavations taking place on the site. Among the digs is
Casa del Padre Serra,
We were moved to view Father Serra’s living quarters, which hold a bed, a kneeler and a simple chair. Standing in the cool room, we found it easy to imagine the pioneering Franciscan spending his free time here in relaxation and prayer.
The priest certainly earned his
quiet time alone with God. Father Serra gave up
everything and everyone he loved back in
And that’s just what Blessed Junípero did, establishing missions up and down California’s coast and bringing Christ to all who had ears to hear the Gospel.
Mission San Diego remains an
inspiring testament to the courage and faith of Blessed Serra
and the missionary priests of
Senior writer Tim Drake is based in St. Joseph,
Planning Your Visit
Don’t miss the Blessed Junípero Serra Museum on nearby Presidio Hill, site of the original mission. For more information, visit the website of the San Diego Historical Society (sandiegohistory.org).
Getting There
From
downtown
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- November 5-11, 2006