FIRST - Catholic Mass in Central California
N 36° 36.380 W 121° 53.716
10S E 598800 N 4051771
When Spanish visitors first set foot on the Monterey Peninsula, the celbrated a mass on this hill overlooking Monterey Bay
Waymark Code: WMDW7
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/30/2006
Views: 30
On 16 December 1602, a day after Sebastian Vizcaino claimed the land for Spain, Carmelite friar Father Antonio de la Ascension celebrated the first Catholic Mass in what is now Central California on this hill.
168 years later, on 3 June 1770, Franciscan Friar Junipero Serra, second visitor to Monterey, sought out the same site for his first mass.
This site is part of the Monterey State Historic Park. Check out my website (
visit link)
This waymarked was originally called "First Mass in California" but after checking our sources we realized that Vizcaino and de la Ascension made one stop prior to Monterey: On November 12, 1602 in what is now San Diego, Father Antonio de la Ascension helt the first mass in California, attended by the ship's crew, two other Carmelite priests and about 100 local Indians.
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