The 21 California Missions
The 21 California Missions and the Pala sub-mission. From a bookmark of mine.
The goal of the Spanish was to convert the indigenous peoples of Alta California to Christianity. This had worked reasonably well in their interactions with the native populations in Mexico and Central America. The Spanish realized that their numbers were not enough to successfully occupy and settle the vast land that was Alta California, so they planned to teach the native population Spanish and vocational skills, in order to make them into tax paying citizens. Several missions also served as military outposts that were instrumental in the colonization of the Pacific Coast region.
The first baptisms in Alta California took place after two Fathers en route to Monterey, came across a native settlement where two young girls were dying. They baptized a baby girl, Maria Magdalena, and the older child, Margarita. The soldier on the expedition named the place
Los Cristianos.
Building and Maintaining the Missions
Many procedures had to be followed before the founding of a mission was approved. Paperwork that involved months, even years, moved slowly through the Spanish bureaucracy. Once a mission was approved for a certain area, a specific site was chosen. A good water supply was of primary importance, as were wood for fires and building materials , and fields for grazing herds and raising crops. Once a site was chosen, it was blessed by the padres, who then, with the help of their military escorts, began to build temporary shelters that would eventually give way to stone and adobe buildings.
Exterior corridor at Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana.
As I mentioned in Chapter one, the missions were built approximately 30 miles apart along the California Mission Trail, a 600-mile route, which is usually referred to as El Camino Real (Spanish for the Royal Road, also known as The King's Highway). At the time the missions were built, the 30-mile distance represented a long one-day ride on horseback or a three-day hike on foot.
Franciscans of the California missions wore gray robes, not brown as is common today.
* In the Catholic Church, the secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to a religious institute. While regular clergy take religious vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience and follow the rule of life of the institute to which they belong, secular clergy do not take vows, and they live in the world (saeculum).
Click on this link to read about the building of the missions in more detail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_the_California_missions
Source: Information and all images, except the first, from Wikipedia.
the words that caught my eye today were 'in order to make them tax-paying citizens'. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteA fascinating part of California history. The missions are quite beautiful.
ReplyDeletei love the architecture of these old beautiful buildings.
ReplyDeleteVilket jobb du gör men intressant så vi andra kan lära oss lite historia.
ReplyDeleteÄlgar heter det ju :-)
Kram på dig!!
VERY INTERESTING--THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
ReplyDeleteHi Inger .. fascinating to read about - especially the 30 miles = one long horse ride, or three days foot passage ..
ReplyDeleteAmazing to think people were happy to get on a ship and just go - life at home obviously wasn't that easy - and the desire for exploration was incredible too ... also that passion for spreading the word of God ...
It's interesting history .. thanks so much .. cheers Hilary
Love this post. I wonder if people do pilgrimages along this trail, like the famous El Camino yearly pilgrimage in Spain.
ReplyDeleteThe missions are a California treasure. It's so delightful to read someone who shares that interest! I live in San Gabriel, and know people who have never even visited, which just stuns me! I am taking a friend for another "visit" sometime this week. :-)
ReplyDeleteI especially appreciate having pictures of all them grouped together so I can look at them without having to search for individual photos.
ReplyDeleteDear Inger, thank you for another intriguing history lesson. I so love to learn about what took place in the past. And your line about making the natives into tax-paying citizens made me chuckle. Life just doesn't change!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's clear how much research you do for this series of postings and how well you summarize what you find in Wikipedia. Thank you for the link. Wow! So much to know and learn about California and the Franciscans and the Native Americans and the Catholic Church.
I wonder which of the missions you have seen and what led you to them and what your thoughts were as you entered the mission's environs. Have you heard the bells ring? And do you know who came up with the idea of the perennials and shrubs that seem to be around each? And how many visitors do they have each year and are signs posted for travelers to get off the road and see them? And do the Franciscans still staff them and show people around?
Oh, I'd so like to sit down with you and learn about all this. Peace.