The Old Franciscan Missions Of CaliforniaJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Old Franciscan Missions Of California
James, George Wharton
Franciscans -- California; Spanish mission buildings -- California
The two carpenters from the "San Carlos," with a squad of sailors, were
set to work on the new buildings, and on September 17 the foundation
ceremonies of the _presidio_ took place. On that same day, Lord Howe, of
the British army, with his Hessian mercenaries, was rejoicing in the
city of New York in anticipation of an easy conquest of the army of the
revolutionists.
It was the establishment of that _presidio_, followed by that of the
Mission on October 9, which predestined the name of the future great
American city, born of adventure and romance.
Padres Palou and Cambon had been hard at work since the end of July.
Aided by Lieutenant Moraga, they built a church fifty-four feet long,
and a house thirty by fifteen feet, both structures being of wood,
plastered with clay, and roofed with tules. On October 3, the day
preceding the festival of St. Francis, bunting and flags from the ships
were brought to decorate the new buildings; but, owing to the absence of
Moraga, the formal dedication did not take place until October 9. Happy
was Serra's friend and brother, Palou, to celebrate high mass at this
dedication of the church named after the great founder of his Order, and
none the less so were his assistants, Fathers Cambon, Nocedal, and Peña.
Just before the founding of the Mission of San Francisco, the Spanish
Fathers witnessed an Indian battle. Natives advanced from the region of
San Mateo and vigorously attacked the San Francisco Indians, burning
their houses and compelling them to flee on their tule rafts to the
islands and the opposite shores of the bay. Months elapsed before these
defeated Indians returned, to afford the Fathers at San Francisco an
opportunity to work for the salvation of their souls.
In October of the following year, Serra paid his first visit to San
Francisco, and said mass on the titular saint's day. Then, standing near
the Golden Gate, he exclaimed: "Thanks be to God that now our father,
St. Francis, with the holy professional cross of Missions, has reached
the last limit of the Californian continent. To go farther he must
have boats."
The same month in which Palou dedicated the northern Mission, found
Serra, with Padre Gregorio Amurrio and ten soldiers, wending their way
from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano, the foundation of which had been
delayed the year previous by the San Diego massacre. They disinterred
the bells and other buried materials and without delay founded the
Mission. With his customary zeal, Serra caused the bells to be hung and
sounded, and said the dedicatory mass on November 1, 1776. The original
location of this Mission, named by the Indians _Sajirit_, was
approximately the site of the present church, whose pathetic ruins speak
eloquently of the frightful earthquake which later destroyed it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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