I don't know a lot about California history, but every week, I discover something new. This week though, I thought I'd look at something in my backyard - the Missions - and today, specifically, the San Fernando Mission.
I'm not quite sure of the dates, but early in California's history, and I believe this occured in the 1700's several Catholic priests traveled up from Mexico and wherever they stopped, they established a mission. The mission trail is called "El Camino Real" and there are a lot of missions that go up and down the California coast from San Diego all the way to San Fransiciso.
THE INTERIOR OF THE MISSION
(NOTE: A couple years ago I had a chance to attending a wedding here and I was very touched by the service.)
The San Fernando Mission is in Mission Hills in Los Angeles, about 20 minutes south of my home. The pictures of it capture that authenthic old style feel of past. I love to visit there because they have a Catholic store and I can go get my religous books and items there. I bought both my son's baptism candles there. The Mission also hosts wedding and quineneras (probably spelled wrong - but it is a Hispanic custom where a 15 year old girl is recoginzed as an adult, similiar to the sweet 16 custom that is more known about)
THE HISTORY OF IT:
Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary" (September 8), 1797. The prime location the padre selected, located along the principal highway leading to the Pueblo de Los Angeles, had been occupied by Francisco Reyes (then Los Angeles' mayor). However, after brief negotiations construction of the first buildings was soon underway (Mission records list Reyes as godfather to the first infant baptized at San Fernando).
INTERESTING NOTE: In 2003 comedian Bob Hope was interred in the Bob Hope Memorial Gardens.
The goal of the missions was, above all, to become self-sufficient in relatively short order. Farming, therefore, was the most important industry of any mission.
Information for this blog entry was taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Fernando_Rey_de_Espa%C3%B1a
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