Background:
Mission San Diego de Alcalá was the second mission founded in the Californias by Fr. Junípero Serra and the first one founded in Alta California. Named after a 15th-century Franciscan saint from southern Spain, it is the southernmost link in the California mission chain.
Initially established in 1769 near the Kumeyaay village of Cosoy and the San Diego Presidio, in 1774, the mission was moved to its present location near the San Diego River. The church and surrounding buildings were renovated and enlarged multiple times, especially after being damaged by an earthquake in 1803.
Location:
10818 San Diego Mission Rd, San Diego, CA 92108
Date founded:
July 16, 1769
Patron saint:
St. Didacus of Alcalá
Founder:
Fr. Junípero Serra
Native peoples:
Kumeyaay (Ipai/Tipai — also known as Diegueño).
Goods produced:
Wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas, lentils, garbanzos and fava beans.
Features:
A unique pair of buttresses was added in 1811 after the roof began to crack. They jut out from the façade alongside a distinctive espadaña tower containing five bells. La Casa de Los Padres, where the early missionaries (including Junípero Serra) slept, is the oldest section of the mission still standing.
Current status:
Mission San Diego de Alcalá is an active Roman Catholic Parish with regular worship services.
Historical landmark number:
California Historical Landmark No. 242. National Historical Landmark.
Ten interesting facts about Mission San Diego de Alcalá:
- The mission was burnt down by Tipai warriors in 1775.
- There is a monument to Fr. Luis Jaime, who was killed during the attack, on the property.
- Apolinaria Lorenzana, the llavera or keybearer of the mission, gave a testimony about her life at Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1878.
- Mission San Diego de Alcalá had an extensive irrigation system that brought water from six miles away. Today, you can still visit the old Mission dam at Mission Trails Regional Park.
- At its peak, the mission owned 20,000 sheep, 10,000 cattle and 1250 horses.
- In 1818, missionaries from San Diego de Alcalá founded the Santa Ysabel Asistencia or sub-mission, about 50 miles away.
- At one point, Mission San Diego lands covered over 50,000 acres.
- The mission also owned three ranchos: Rancho Cañada de los Coches, Capistrano de las Secuás, and Rancho Jamacha.
- In 1846, Pío Pico, the last Mexican governor of California, granted Mission San Diego to Santiago Argüello, who had served as a soldier at the Presidio of San Francisco and the Presidio of San Diego.
- After the Mexican-American War, the mission was occupied by the U.S. Army from 1847 to 1857.
Important dates:
- 1774: The original mission site on Presidio Hill was moved to the present location.
- November 5, 1775: Indians attack Mission San Diego and kill Fr. Luis Jayme and two other people.
- 1803 and 1812: The mission building was damaged by earthquakes. A new church was dedicated on November 12, 1813, incorporating buttresses to strengthen it.
- 1847: The US Army occupied the mission compound and turned the church into a barracks.
- 1862: President Lincoln formally restored 22 acres of the mission property to the Catholic Church.
- 1931: The mission church is rebuilt and rededicated after years of neglect.