Misión San Buenaventura

Founded in 1782, the Mission San Buenaventura was the ninth of the twenty-two* California Missions founded by the Franciscan Friars; it would also be the last one founded by Blessed Junípero Serra. It was dedicated by Father Serra to St. Bonaventure, the great Franciscan theologian and Doctor of the Church, for whom he had a great devotion. Situated close to the larger Santa Bárbara Mission and Presidio, the Mission San Buenaventua was never one of the preëminent missions, but it was important in two respects: it was a safe haven to which Spanish civilians fled during pirate attacks on Santa Bárbara and it was a supplier of much produce to the other missions in Southern California.

One of the more notable architectural features during the Mission Days was the seven mile aqueduct that was built to bring water from the San Buena Ventura River to the mission. One of the aqueduct holding tanks can still be seen behind the mission church. This aqueduct helped to maintain lush orchards and gardens, as well as fields. The English explorer George Vancouver once described the orchards and gardens as the finest he had ever seen. The Mission San Buenaventura was well-known for its produce and was certainly the "Garden Mission."

In 1834 the Mission San Buenaventura, along with almost all of the other California Missions, were wrested from the hands of the Franciscan padres during the great 'secularization' by the newly independent Mexican government. Some of the missions were in fact given to the charge of the secular clergy so as to administer the sacraments, however, this was the exception and not the norm. The Mission San Buenaventura was eventually abandoned; its lands being divided up among the Californio Ranchos. It wasn't until 1862 that most of the California Missions were returned to the Catholic Church after the Bishop of Monterey, José Sadoc Alemañy y Conill, petitioned President Lincoln for their return.

*The twenty-second mission was Mission SS. Pedro y Pablo, north of S. Francisco de Solano. A proper church was never completed, however.

[N.B. so far you have seen some of my best photos, now get ready to see some of my worst. For some reason, nothing was coming out right at the mission, so you will have to excuse the poor quality. Also, please remember to run the 'sprite' (mouse pointer) over the photos to get a description. You may also click on them to enlarge.]


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After visiting Rancho San Miguel (The Olivas Adobe Historical Park; see below) I went with my mother to hear Sunday Mass at the mission. To the best of my knowledge this is the only one of the historic California Missions to have a Traditional Latin Mass every Sunday. I have to admit that when the Mass began I was a bit confused. After the Vidi Aquam, the 'Prayers at the Foot of the Altar' seemed a bit too short. As well, before Mass I had seen one of the altar servers light charcoal in a thurible, but there was no incensation of the altar at the Introit. In addition, the Gloria in excelsis was intoned from the Epistle-side. Something seemed a bit odd... It wasn't until the preparation of the chalice after the Epistle that it hit me that this was a Dominican Rite Mass. I had noticed the amice worn (instead of the biretta) by the celebrant on the way in, but he could have been anything from a Cistercian to a Franciscan. In any case, it was a privilege to have heard Mass here. A Missa Cantata according to the RR-EU in a historic California Mission, with half-way decent choir accompanied by organ and strings, would be enough for me to register at this parish were I still living back home.



























After Mass, we went to the Mission Museum and walked through the gardens. Compared to the other two missions I have seen (Mission San Gabriel & Mission San Fernando) the museum here is very small. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality.