Mission San Miguel, California

Old Mission San Miguel Archangel was founded on July 25, 1797, by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen as the sixteenth of the twenty-one missions. In 1806, a fire destroyed most of the buildings and the mission was rebuilt from 1816 to 1818. In 1834, the Mexican government secularized the mission, turning it over to William Reed. The Reed family moved in but were massacred two years later by bandits. After that, the buildings were converted to commercial use (a hotel, a saloon, shops). In 1859, the U.S. Government under President James Buchanan returned to property to the Catholic Church. It was slowly restored though it retains its 1818 appearance.

Like other missions we visited, it is a functioning parish and also a historical landmark. The entrance to the museum is suitably dramatic and evocative.

Entrance to Mission San Miguel Archangel

The museum covers the culture of the indigenous Salinan people.

Salinan exhibit

Recreated settlement

Songs from the Salinans

Many original parts of the mission survive and are displayed in the museum, including this piece of the original cross establishing the mission.

The true (mission) cross

Recreated mission

Also like the other missions, the Franciscans worked hard, teaching (often by example) the trades they knew like farming, candle-making, metallurgy, and even wine-making.

Making candles from animal fat

The monastery's original wine vat

The courtyard of the mission was used as a garden and a pasture. A sheepgate allowed in the adorable animals, typically for shearing. 

Sheepgate

The museum leads through a lot of the practical rooms of the mission, including the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom.

A small oven

More of the kitchen

Shelves in the dining room (the picture of the table didn't come out!)

Bedroom

Gray robes in vogue at the mission

Several liturgical artifacts survive.

Hymn book

Statue of Saint Michael

The courtyard has a garden, large fountain, and some statuary that came later in the mission's history.

Olive tree

Fountain

Statue of Junipero Serra, the founder of the missions

The heart of the mission is the church which is in a corner of the courtyard. 

The mission church

The original painted walls from 1818 are extant. They were painted by Esteban Munras with help from Salinan neophytes. The size is amazing: 144 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 40 feet tall.

Nave

Main altar

All-seeing eye of God over the altar

Pulpit for preaching

The sanctuary includes several statues including the Sacred Heart, a Madonna and Child (where the Mother of God looks like a Salinan), and Saint Joseph.

Sacred Heart (which was the feast day we happened to visit)

Madonna and child

Saint Joseph altar with original wall painting

12th Station--Jesus dies on the cross

The cemetery has many people, including over 2000 Native Americans.

Cemetery