California Missions

Mrs. BurnsRoom 803

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Table of Contents• Introduction• The Mission Today• History of the Mission• Mission Life• Closing• Bibliography / Web Sites

Mission San Juan Capistrano

• San Juan Capistrano is best known for its week-long celebration of the return of the swallows.

• The swallows return every year around March 19 to build their nests against the arches of the ruins.

The Mission Today• Most of the land is now Orange County. • The roof was composed of seven

masonry domes.• A Moorish fountain is in the plaza

garden.• A statue of Father Serra and a native

youth stands near the Mission entrance.

Mission Today -Continued

• The church was known as the Great Stone Church. It was made with yellow sandstone that was dug up six miles away, and held together with limestone mortar.

• The Great Stone Church had a bell tower that was 120 feet tall with a rooster weathervane on top. There were 4 bells, 2 large and 2 small.

• The compound had living quarters, storage buildings, workshops, barracks, a jail, and more. It surrounds a patio.

History of the Mission• Father Junipero Serra established the

mission on November 1, 1776.• It is the 7th of 21 missions.• The mission is located 70 miles north of

San Diego.• The mission is named in honor of St.

John of Capistrano, who was a religious scholar.

• San Juan Capistrano is also known as “The Jewel of the Missions.”

History of the Mission - Continued

• In December 1812 an earthquake destroyed the church.

• The mission was secularized in 1833.

• In 1865 the mission was returned to the church.

Mission Life• San Juan Capistrano was a

prosperous mission with fields of grain, vegetables and fruit.

• The sale of cattle hides to New England shoe factories brought much of the Mission’s wealth.

Closing • My favorite part of this report was

finding out about the swallows that return every year.

• I learned a lot about how the mission was built and what makes it so beautiful to tourist.

• I’m looking forward to visiting the Mission on our field trip.

Bibliography

Web Sites • Http://www.bgmm.Com/missions/index.htm

• http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/missioncalifornia/index.htm?iam=dpile&terms=%2BCalifornia+%2BMissions

• http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/missiongeneral/index.htm?terms=California+Missions+All

Works Cited

• Microsoft Office 2000