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| This history of California begins with Franciscan Father Junipero Serra who established a chain of 21 missional along the California coast in the late 1700's. MIssion San Diego de Alcala(left) ws the first (and therefore the first church in California). It's a beautiful place to visit with lovely gardens and sculpture such as the Pieta (right). The mission has been carefully restored and the main church (below) is beautiful even though it has survived being burned by indians, damaged by earthquakes and occupied by a Morman Cavalry unit which used the main church as a stable. President Lincoln returned this mission (and all the mission lands in California) to the church in 1872. Pope Paul IV named this mission a minor basilica in 1976. | ||||||||||||||||||
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| We also visited Mission San Luis Rey, one of the last of the Calfornia missions te be established. It is quite a large facility. At one time it was home to 3,000 indians was well as the Franciscan brothers who lived in its cloisters. It 1830 it was the largest building in California. It is still an active Catholic parish and also serves as a spiritual retreat center. | ||||||||||||||||||
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