Monday, July 20, 2009

Mission San Francisco de Asís

Blogging from San Francisco.

Fray Junípero Serra was the Spanish Franciscan friar who founded the 21 missions in what is now California; the first one was consecrated in San Diego in 1769. One of the last was Mission San Francisco de Asís, which was founded on June 29, 1776. It is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco, and it can be found on the corner of Dolores and 16th Streets, on the edge of the the city's Mission District.

After visiting the Castro District this evening (more on that when I return to Morton Grove), I decided to take a look at the historic building. It is one of only two surviving structures where the resolute priest is known to have held mass--but Mission San Francisco de Asís was still under construction when Serra was there.

In 1988, Pope John Paul II beatified Fray Serra.

Next to the mission The Basilica Parish of Mission Dolores, pictured on the right. The original church was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, but Mission San Francisco de Asís, although damaged, survived. A new church was built and opened to worshippers in 1918.

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