Old Mission Parish 751
Palm St. San Luis Obispo CA, 93401 (805) 781-8220
missionsanluisobispo.org
Set along shaded streets and framed by
beautiful mountain tops, Mission San Luis Obispo is the fifth California mission founded by Father Junipero
Serra on September 1, 1772. Located in the heart of the San Luis Obispo
downtown shopping region, it enjoys a Mission Plaza where concerts and
community programs are held. The mission serves the community as a working
church with a diocesan parish ministered by priests who carry on the work
that Fr. Serra began.
Named after
Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, France, the building was constructed from
1793-1794 with a front portico added in 1794. The building fell into
disrepari and was completely restored in 1933.
In 1769, Fr Serra, a member of the Order of Franciscan Minors (O.F.M.),
received orders from Spain to bring the Catholic faith to the Natives of
Alta California. Mission San Diego was the first mission founded in Alta
California that same year.
On September 7 - 8, 1769 Gaspar de Portola traveled through the San Luis
Obispo area on his way to rediscover the Bay of Monterey. The expedition’s
diarist, Padre Juan Crespi, O.F.M., recorded the name given to this area by
the soldiers as llano de los Osos, or the level of the bears (Bear Plain) as
this was an area with an abundance of bears. Since then, various
translations of the Crespi Diary have called this area La Canada de Los Osos
(The Canyon of the Bears) which has been further mistranslated as the Valley
of the Bears.
In 1770, Fr. Serra founded the second mission, San Carlos Borremeo, in
Monterey which was moved to Carmel the following year. As supplies dwindled
in 1772 at the then four missions, the people faced starvation. Remembering
the Valley of the Bears, a hunting expedition was sent to bring back food in
the summer of 1772. Over 25 mule loads of dried bear meat and seed was sent
north to relieve the missionaries, soldiers, and neophytes (baptized
Natives). The Natives were impressed at the ease by which the Spaniards
could take down the huge grizzles with their weapons. Some of the meat was
traded with the local people in exchange for edible seed. It was after this
that Fr. Serra decided that La Canada de Los Osos would be an ideal place
for the fifth mission. The area had abundant supplies of food and water, the
climate was also very mild, and the local Chumash were very friendly.
With
soldiers, muleteers, and pack animals carrying mission supplies, Fr. Serra
set out on a journey to reach the Valley of the Bears. On September 1, 1772,
Fr. Serra celebrated the first Mass with a cross erected near San Luis
Creek. The very next day, he departed for San Diego leaving Fr. Jose Cavaller, O.F.M., with the difficult task of building the mission. Fr.
Cavaller, five solders and two neophytes began building what is today called
Mission San Luis, Obispo de Tolosa.
After Fr. Serra left, the
difficult task of actually building the mission remained. This was
accomplished with the aid of the local Chumash Natives. Palisades were set
up as temporary buildings, which were made simply from poles and tree
boughs. However, due to fires in the first few years, adobe and tile
structures were erected. The Church and Priest's residence, the convento
wing, were built by 1794. Many other structures made up the Mission in the
early days: storerooms, residences for single women, soldiers barracks, and
mills. The mission also had land for farming and raising livestock. The
whole community of priests, Natives and soldiers needed to produce goods for
their own livelihood.
After 1818, the Mission's prosperity began to decline and by the 1840's
there was little left of the thriving community of earlier times. The
buildings were crumbling and there were not sufficient funds to rebuild. In
an "informe" (report to the Government written in 1830) Fr. Gil stated: "The
hospital and portions of neophyte villages are in ruins and the rest of the
village threatens to fall into ruins... the front of the Mission Church has
to be taken down, because it threatened to tumble over". In his 1832
“informe” he was even more dismal: "Every day the Mission structures are
decaying more and more for want of sufficient hands to renovate them... the
belfry mentioned last year has been demolished by rains therefore we built
another of masonry."
Soon after Mexico won her independence from Spain (1821), the Missions were
secularized by the Mexican Government. This meant that the priests no longer
managed the Missions. Often Mission lands were sold off. Governor Pio Pico
sold the San Luis Obispo Mission to Capt. John Wilson for $510 in 1845.
During this time, buildings were appropriated for any use deemed necessary
by the civil authorities. The Mission convento wing housed a school as well
as a jail and first county courthouse.
The Name behind the Mission “San Luis Obispo de Tolosa”
The patron saint of this mission is Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, France.
Louis, born in 1274, the second son of King Charles of Naples. After being
defeated in a war with Spain, Louis and his brother were sent, as hostages,
to Spain for the release of their father. The brothers spent seven years in
Spain, being instructed by Franciscan friars. Having absorbed the training,
Louis decided to join the Order. After his release, he renounced his claim
to the crown of Naples, joined the Order of Friars Minor, and was
consecrated Bishop of Toulouse. Due to poverty and disease in the city, he
fell ill and passed away at the young age of 23. He has always been very
dear to the Franciscan Friars.
1772 Mission founded by Father Junipero Serra, accompanied by Padre Jose
Cavaller and Captain Pedro Fages on September 1st, 1772.
1778 Fr. Serra receives permission to confirm from the Pope. He confirms 265
persons at Mission San Luis Obispo.
1783 Beginning of official informes, which include spiritual and
agricultural reports.
1784 Fr. Serra dies; Fermin de Lasuen, O.F.M., replaces him as Padre
Presidente.
1789 Fr. Cavaller dies and is buried in the Mission floor in front of the
sanctuary.
1793 Present Mission Church completed.
1800 Building under Martinez: Permanent dwellings for families, a granary,
weaving room, and 6 adobe houses.
1810 Beginning of Mexican War for independence against Spain.
1812 Mission renovation: re-plastering, paving.
1820 Mission bells arrive from Lima, Peru cast by Manuel Vargas.
1821 Mexico wins independence from Spain.
1824 Natives at Missions Santa Barbara, Santa Ines, and La Purisima revolt
against civil authority.
1824 Mexican Congress decrees that all Californians must sign oath of
allegiance to Mexico.
1827 Mexican Congress decrees that all Spaniards under 60 years old shall be
expelled.
1830 Mexican Governor Echeandia arrests Fr. Martinez on a trumped up charge
of treason, and exiles him outside of Mexican territories.
1830 Earthquake.
1830 Fr. Luis Gil y Taboada, O.F.M., assigned to take over the Mission. He
died in 1833 and was buried in the floor before the sanctuary.
1834 Mexican Congress approves Secularization Act: All Mission lands become
property of Mexico and subject to disposition.
1835 Inventory and formal possession of Mission buildings by Mexican
Government.
1842 Fr. Ramon Abella, O.F.M., dies; last Franciscan at the Mission.
1845 "Governor" Pio Pico sells remaining Mission lands including church and
Laguna Rancho sold to Captain John Wilson and partners Scott and McKinley.
1846 Commodore Sloat raises U.S. flag over Monterey, War with Mexico begins,
Pio Pico is deposed and his grants are suspended.
1847 Governor Kearney issues a proclamation protecting religious
institutions.
1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed ending the Mexican-American War.
1855 Bishop Alemany's claim to Mission lands upheld by U.S. Land Commission.
1856 San Luis Obispo incorporates as a town.
1861 Stagecoach runs between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
1876 San Luis Obispo re-incorporates as a "city".
1893 Fr. Valentin Aguilere decides to enlarge Church, builds annex to the
right of the sanctuary.
1894 San Luis Obispo reached by railroad, Southern Pacific builds Ramona
Hotel.
1901 California State Polytechnic College established.
1933 Restoration of the Mission (back to Spanish style) begun by Fr.
Harnett.
Source: Mission San Luis Obispo
