Mission San Juan Capistrano, named for St. John of Capistrano, Italy, a theologian of the 14th century, is the seventh mission founded November 1, 1776, the Feast of All Saints, by Fr. Junipero Serra.
Previously established by Fr. Fermin Lasuen on October 30, 1775, it was abandoned because of Indian unrest at Mission San Diego. The Great Stone Church began construction in 1796; was completed in 1806;and was destroyed by an earthquake 1812. The Mission was secularized 1833, sold in 1845, and was returned to the Church in 1865.
Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded twice; the first attempt was In October of 1775, when Father Lasuen left San Diego with eleven soldiers to establish a mission roughly halfway between Mission San Diego and Mission San Gabriel. On October 30, 1775, a large cross was set up and Fr. Lasuen took formal possession of the land in the name of the crown and dedicated the ground. A number of Indians watched and helped to haul timber for the building of a temporary chapel and dwellings. The work went on for eight days, but came to a halt when word reached the Spaniards that Mission San Diego had suffered an Indian attack. The bells were hastily buried and the small party hurried south to take shelter in the Mission at San Diego.
After a year's delay, an expedition led by Father Junipero Serra, arrived at the same site on October 31, 1776, with two padres and an escort of soldiers. The following day, November 1, 1776, the mission was officially dedicated.
Once established, the mission prospered almost from the start. Between the founding and 1797, a number of adobe buildings were erected. In 1777, the first little church was built, a modest structure that is still in use today. Considered the oldest church in California, it is called "Serra Chapel" because it is the only building still standing where Fr. Serra had celebrated Mass.
Indians of the Mission were first called Acjachemen, and were a peaceful people. They had their own religion before the introduction of Catholicism. With the arrival of the Spanish Missionaries and soldiers, their whole way of life changed and they would now be called Juaneños after San Juan Capistrano.
There are no longer any full-blooded Acjachemen (Juaneños) left; however there are many of their descendants still living in the San Juan Capistrano Valley. A handful now work at the Mission and are proud to be a part of this beautiful place that was built and maintained for many years by their ancestors.
Miguel Joseph Serra who later became Fr. Junipero Serra was born in 1713 in Petra, located on the island of Majorca, Spain.
When the Spanish Crown decided to colonize Alta (Upper) California, Fr. Serra was selected to lead the missionary effort of teaching Christianity to the Native Americans there. Missions were established for this purpose.
Mission San Juan Capistrano, named for St. John of Capistrano, Italy, a theologian of the 14th century, is the seventh mission founded November 1, 1776, the Feast of All Saints, by Fr. Junipero Serra.
Fr. Serra founded 9 of the 21 Upper California Missions, the first being in San Diego in 1769. He was 55 years old at that time.
One of the above 9 missions was Mission San Juan Capistrano established in 1776 and known as the “Jewel “of the Missions. Here there is Serra Chapel where Fr. Serra celebrated mass. It is also the only Mission church named for Fr. Serra. The structure is also believed to be the oldest church still standing in California.
Fr. Serra died in 1784 at Mission San Carlos Borromeo and is buried there.