21 California missions were founded. They cover 650 miles along the El Camino Real (King’s Highway) between San Diego and Sonoma.
Mission San Antonio de Padua WHO: Mission San Antonio de Padua was founded by Father Junipero Serra. WHAT: The mission was named after Saint Anthony of Padua, and nicknamed “Mission of the Sierras”. WHERE: The mission is located at 1 Mission Creek Rd, Jolon (near Monterey) California. WHEN: The mission was founded on July 14, […]
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa WHO: Mission San Luis Obispo was founded by Father Junipero Serra. WHAT: The mission was named after Saint Louis of Anjou the bishop of Toulouse, and nicknamed “Prince of the Missions” , “Mission in the Valley of Bears”, and the “The Accidental Mission” WHERE: The mission is located 751 […]
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia WHO: Mission San Luis Rey was founded by Father Fermin Lasuen. WHAT: The mission was named for King Louis IX of France, and nicknamed “King of the Missions”. WHERE: The mission is located at 4050 Mission Ave., San Luis Rey, California. WHEN: The mission was founded in June 12, […]
Mission Santa Cruz WHO: Mission Santa Cruz was founded by Father Fermin Lasuen. WHAT: The mission was named after the Holy Cross, not after a Saint like most of the other missions. It was nicknamed “The Hard Luck Mission”. WHERE: Mission Santa Cruz is located at 130 Emmett Street, Santa Cruz, California. The city of […]
Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana WHO: Mission San Fernando was founded by Father Fermin Lasuen. WHAT: The mission was named after Saint Ferdinand; King of Spain; and was nicknamed “Mission of the Valley”. WHERE: The mission is located at 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd in San Fernando, California. The city of San Fernando is […]
Mission San Miguel Arcangel WHO: The founding priest of Mission San Miguel was Father Fermin Lasuen. WHAT: The mission was named after the Archangel Michael, and was nicknamed “The Unretouched Mission” and “Mission of the Highway” WHERE: The mission is located at 775 Mission St. in San Miguel, California. WHEN: The mission was founded on […]
Mission San Francisco Solano WHO: Mission San Francisco Solano was founded by Father Jose Altimira. WHAT: The mission is nicknamed “Sonoma Mission”. WHERE: The mission is located at 114 East Spain in Sonoma, California. WHEN: The mission was founded on July 4, 1823. It was the twenty-first and last of California’s twenty-one missions. WHY: It […]
Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo WHO: Mission Carmel was founded by Father Junipero Serra. It is the site of his shrine and final resting place. WHAT: The mission was named after Saint Charles Barromeo, a 16th century cardinal and archbishop of Milan, Italy. It is the most authentically restored of all the California […]
Mission San Buenaventura WHO: Mission San Buenaventura was founded by Father Junipero Serra, and was the last one he founded. WHAT: The mission was named after Saint Bonaventure and nicknamed “Mission by the Sea”. WHERE: The mission is located at 211 East Main Street, Ventura, California. The city of Ventura is named after the mission. […]
Mission Nuesta Senora de la Soledad WHO: Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad was founded by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. WHAT: The mission was named the Our Lady of Solitude and is also called Soledad mission. WHERE: The mission is located about 75 miles south of San Francisco near the opening of the San […]
