What is a mission?
More importantly what is a California Spanish Mission?
Because you know that’s where it’s really at…
There are 21 Spanish Missions in California. The first, Mission San Diego de Alcala was founded in 1769! The final mission was San Francisco Solano founded in 1823.
Rich and full of history, the missions have interested this little Canuck since I arrived here from the great white north.
The settling plans for the missions actually began way back in 1493! With Spain settling in Mexico many missions were under the control of the Jesuit order. In 1767 the New Spain mission system in Lower California was removed from the Jesuits and placed over to the Franciscans, namely the famed Junipero Serra, now blessed. (His body is buried in Carmel mission which we visit often.)
A unique thought came to our minds this year that while we are living in California we would really like to make a pilgrimage by visiting all, yes all of the Missions. We are doing it as a prayer asking God to bless our little family and with a few special intentions on our minds and hearts.
So I hope you enjoy the journey with us, from time to time we will be posting photos of each mission that we have visited. Maybe it looks more like fun then a pilgrimage! Who said you couldn’t have a bit of both right!
We have been to many of the Northern ones this month including these photos of San Juan Bautista taken last weekend.
Joseph wakes up every day saying “I’m off to the mission.”
More importantly what is a California Spanish Mission?
Because you know that’s where it’s really at…
There are 21 Spanish Missions in California. The first, Mission San Diego de Alcala was founded in 1769! The final mission was San Francisco Solano founded in 1823.
Rich and full of history, the missions have interested this little Canuck since I arrived here from the great white north.
The settling plans for the missions actually began way back in 1493! With Spain settling in Mexico many missions were under the control of the Jesuit order. In 1767 the New Spain mission system in Lower California was removed from the Jesuits and placed over to the Franciscans, namely the famed Junipero Serra, now blessed. (His body is buried in Carmel mission which we visit often.)
A unique thought came to our minds this year that while we are living in California we would really like to make a pilgrimage by visiting all, yes all of the Missions. We are doing it as a prayer asking God to bless our little family and with a few special intentions on our minds and hearts.
So I hope you enjoy the journey with us, from time to time we will be posting photos of each mission that we have visited. Maybe it looks more like fun then a pilgrimage! Who said you couldn’t have a bit of both right!
We have been to many of the Northern ones this month including these photos of San Juan Bautista taken last weekend.
Joseph wakes up every day saying “I’m off to the mission.”
2 comments:
Yes, beautiful indeed! Faith and I actually made a pilgrimage to about 13 of the 21 missions. That was an experience.
Yeah... an experience, that's what it was. Actually, I'll give you a bit of a heads up, after about number 7, thay all start to look pretty similar. I mean really, you've seen one tallow vat, you've seen 'em all. BUt that's when it starts to really become a pilgrimage, I guess! jUst don't make a bunch of freakish rules for yourself like you have to say the rosary every hour on the hour or no mochas allowed until we get to Santa Barbera. That's when it gets weird.
So cute about Joseph!
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