Off to the Sun: The First Mission

Much as I love the historical aspect of visiting the missions, I have strong mixed feelings about the role of the Franciscan Fathers in California's past. It's no secret that indigenous people were mistreated by many in the Mission system, and San Diego de Aclala was no exception. Founded in 1769, it was  moved to the present site in 1774 for better access to water and farmland. By 1775 the Mission had so angered the locals that they attacked the grounds, burned the buildings to ash, and beat the presiding Padre to death (Padre Luis Jayme subsequently became the first Christian martyr in California - no surprise there)

In 1776, Junipero Serra (who took over the missions after serving the inquisition in Mexico by naming a few high-flying witches) took the site in hand, rebuilding it with a fortified wall to repel further attacks. He met with considerably more success, baptizing over a thousand converts by 1797, and expanding the site to include 20,000 sheep, 10,000 cattle and 1,250 horses.

image courtesy of Carol Squire

The Mission fell to ruin during the independence of Mexico from Spain and after the war between the U.S. and Mexico a few years later. Returned to its former glory in 1976, it was named a minor basilica (a church with certain privileges related to the Catholic canon), and remains to this day an active parish for the Catholic community. This little sweetie pie on the right was being baptized during our visit.

Image courtesy of Carol Squire

As was the habit of Spanish explorers, the bay of San Diego was named for the Catholic saint whose name day it was - Saint Didacus (Diego) of Acala - by Captain Sebastian Viscaino upon his arrival in 1602. Didacus, a Spanish Franciscan who became a healer during the 15th century,  was canonized (named a saint) in 1588.

The grounds of the Mission are pleasantly planted and the museum on the grounds is worthy of a stroll.