Mission San Diego
WHO: Mission San Diego was founded by Spanish Father Junipero Serra, the first one he personally founded.
WHAT: The mission was named after Saint Diego or Didacus of Alcala. The nickname of the mission is “Mother of the Alta California Missions” since it was the first mission in California.
WHERE: The mission was originally founded close to the ocean, on a hill called the Presidio. The mission was moved six miles inland for better access to water. The current mission is located at 10818 San Diego Mission Road in San Diego, CA. The city of San Diego was named after the mission.
WHEN: The mission was founded on July 16, 1769. It was the first of California’s twenty-one missions.
WHY: It was founded for the continued religious conversion of the indigenous Native American peoples. It also provided a focus for Spanish settlement in the area.
HOW: The mission was built by the labor of the Tipai-Ipai (or Kumeyaay) Indians under the design and direction of the Franciscan friars. After rebuilding in 1931, the mission has an impressive 46 ft high tower with 5 bells.
Below are six sites to find more information:
- en.wikipedia.org/Mission_San_Diego_de_Alcala
- californiamissionsfoundation.org/mission-san-diego-de-alcala/
- missionscalifornia.com/mission-facts/san-diego-de-alcalá
- www.infoplease.com/san-diego-calif
- www.sandiego.org/missions-of-san-diego
- missionsandiego.org
