Background:
Mission San Juan Capistrano is the seventh mission founded in Alta California. It was established in the territory of the Acjachemen people, with the aim of having a mission that could bridge the distance between Mission San Diego de Alcalá to the south and Mission San Gabriel to the north.
Location:
26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Date founded:
November 1, 1776
Patron saint:
St. John of Capistrano.
Founder:
Fr. Junípero Serra.
Nickname:
“The Jewel of the Missions”
Native peoples:
Acjachemen — also known as Juaneño.
Goods produced:
Wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas, lentils, garbanzos, fava beans.
Features:
Ruins of great stone church, espadaña with bells recovered from ruins, restored adobe Serra chapel, built in 1782.
Current status:
Mission buildings are on the grounds of a Catholic parish.
Historical landmark number:
California Historical Landmark no. 200
Ten interesting facts about Mission San Juan Capistrano:
- The church of Mission San Juan Capistrano was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1812. Over 40 people died in the collapse.
- Isidro Aguilar, a stonemason from Culiacán, New Spain (today’s Mexico), supervised the construction of the church.
- On March 19 of each year (Feast of St. Joseph), swallows migrate 6,000 miles from Argentina to the town of San Juan Capistrano.
- The campanario or bell tower, holds two of the mission’s original bells, dating from 1796.
- The historic Serra Chapel is said to be the oldest building in California still in use (1782). It is also one of the few documented places where Junípero Serra said Mass.
- The bell tower of the old stone church was said to be 125 feet high and visible from 10 miles away.
- Mission San Juan Capistrano has an ongoing program to restore and preserve its historical buildings.
- The mission was sacked by privateer Hippolyte Bouchard in 1818.
- The original great stone church had seven domes.
- The four bells in the campanario are named San Vicente, San Juan, San Antonio and San Rafael.
Important dates:
- The great stone church (the largest Spanish building ever erected in California) was started in 1797 and completed in 1806.
- December 8, 1812: Earthquake destroys the great stone church, killing 40 people.
- 1846: Pío Pico sells mission buildings to brother-in-law John Forster.
- 1865: The U.S. Federal Government returns ownership of the mission church to the Catholic Church.