Mission San Buenaventura, California

We went to Mass at Mission Basilica San Buenaventura in Ventura, California. The mission was founded on March 31,1782, the ninth of the twenty-one mission and the last one to be founded by Junipero Serra. The first church was destroyed in a fire, leaving the Franciscans to rebuild in 1792. That church survives to today. The interior was "modernized" in 1893 and then restored to its original appearance in 1956. It is a beautiful and active parish. 

The exterior has the classic look of a mission with a tall bell tower and the clean, white front.

Mission San Buenaventura

The nave is spacious though there are no side aisles. Before Mass started, they asked if any visitors were in the congregation. We stood up along with a handful of other people. When asked where they were from, most people were mid-westerners. We said we were from Maryland, and the usher said we were probably from the farthest away. Two groups back were some people from the Philippines, so we were not from farthest away!

Nave

Going to communion was a little awkward. The ushers had the people at the back come forward first, returning to their pews down a middle lane between those coming up for communion. It worked surprisingly well. Otherwise the Mass was great.

The main altar has a statue of Saint Bonaventure, a Franciscan from the thirteenth century who was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588. He is flanked by Our Lady and Saint Joseph.

Main altar

Side altars include a painting from 1747 of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a scene of the Crucifixion.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Crucifixion altar

As a minor basilica, the church displays the umbraculum, a small umbrella with papal insignia showing that the pope (in this case, Pope Francis in 2020) bestowed that honor. Typically, churches are declared basilicas because of historic or artistic importance. This one has both!

Umbraculum

Choir loft

The back of the church has a copy of Michelangelo's Pieta and a lot of relics from various saints.

Pieta

Reliquaries

Since it was Sunday, the museum was not open yet. They did have a celebration going on in the mission square.

Fountain in the square

People enjoying food and fellowship

We did not get to the museum and thus didn't get a stamp for our "mission passport." I guess we will have to go back some day!

Mission Santa Inez, California

Just outside of Solvang, California, is Mission Santa Inez, named after Saint Agnes. Father Estevan Tapis founded it on September 17, 1804, the nineteenth mission of the twenty-one mission of the Camino Real. The church, like other nearby missions, was ruined in the 1812 earthquake and had to be rebuilt. The mission continued as a parish during secularization by the Mexican government in the 1830s, though the building fell into disrepair over the years. In 1904, restoration work began. When we visited, it was still being refurbished over 120 years later!

Mission Santa Inez exterior

The mission has the typical museum with models showing the mission's layout in the past.

Looks like the current church

More elaborate model

The museum has a map of the Spanish Empire circa 1800. It seems a bit exaggerated to me, e.g. the division of South America with Portugal. Even so, they did have a global empire (I bet the sun never set on the Spanish flag too!).

Spanish possessions

One of the original bells is on display, having seen better days.

Mission bell

The Chumash were the local native tribe. Their influence is shown with some of their art and creations on display in the museum.

Some native works

A lot of the liturgical items are also on display. 

Hymnals and things

Statues and other items

Monstrance and other items used at the altar

We saw the chest below and assumed it was some sort of coffin. Turns out, it was a vestments chest. The missions did not have closets, so liturgical vestments were stored in drawers or chests. The vestments below include one that was worn by Saint Junipero Serra (so a third-class relic!). 

Vestment chest

Some samples of vestments through the years

A vestment used by Fr. Serra

The interior courtyard has the typical fountain.

A standard decoration

The main church is still being restored so we could only view the inside from a small area.

250th Anniversary entrance

Sanctuary

Nave looking back from the altar

Our Lady of the Rosary statue

Back out in the garden, I discovered the most important statue at the mission.

Shrine to Saint Joseph

Patron of the blogger, not the mission

Fr. Serra, patron of the missions in general

The ticket seller told us a wedding was happening soon and we saw the set-up toward the back of the courtyard.

Outdoor wedding ready to go

Yes, that priest is wearing a cowboy hat!

View from the parking lot

Mission San Luis Obispo, California

The mission in San Luis Obispo is named after Saint Louis, the bishop of Toulouse, France. It was founded by Junipero Serra on September 1, 1772, the fifth of the twenty-one California missions. Serra chose the area for a clean creek running nearby and for the friendly natives, the Chumash people. The Spaniards called the area La Canada de los Osos, in English "Valley of the Bears." The valley was pockmarked with small holes where the grizzlies would dig up roots to eat. In 1772, the other four missions were facing starvation, so Serra sent some people to hunt the bears for meat. They managed to collect nine thousand pounds of meat (salted or smoked to preserve it). They also traded meat with the Chumash for edible seeds. The mission flourished until secularization in the mid-1830s. The mission property still functioned as a church, but the other parts of the mission were converted to a school, a jail, and a courthouse. The mission was restored in the 1930s and still serves as a parish church in downtown San Luis Obispo. 

The exterior has the bright whiteness of many missions with the bells built into the main body of the church (no separate bell tower).

Mission San Luis Obispo

The back entrance

The museum has a room dedicated to Chumash history and culture.

Display on native culture

We were amazed to see that some of the ceiling tiles were used for art projects, painting images like the mission on the insides. 

Pictures of the priests and items made from the mission

Music played a big part in the mission and some books and instruments are on display.

Music from the mission

Mural of the Chumash lifestyle

After secularization, immigrants moved in. Some of their clothing and items are on display.

A different sort of residents

A lot of artifacts from the church are on display or recreated in the museum.

Recreation of the altar

Triptych

The missionaries taught many crafts that they plied themselves.

Various work items

Dining room

Original doors of the mission

The church follows the usual style, with a long nave and an altar, though here the saintly bishop is on a side, not in the center above the altar.

Main altar

Ceiling

Bishop on the side

View down the name from the altar

Stations of the cross

Outside are some fun decorations.

Guidance to get to the next missions

State bear in the fountain

An old-west style house

The mission is in the heart of downtown, so it is easy to get to. We arrived early and spent some time in the local library a few blocks away.