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San
Juan Capistrano
Little Chapters
Chapter V
Little Chapters About San Juan Capistrano
Chapter V: The Stone Church
The church of this mission before its destruction by earthquake,
in 1812, was the most magnificent of all the mission churches
of California. The workmanship may be judged from the carved
pilasters, cornices, captials, doorways, arches and keystones
that still remain. The roof was a series of domes, or bovedas,
seven in number, one of which still stands over the sanctuary.
Local tradition says that the bell tower in front was so high
that it could be seen from a point ten miles away to the north,
called Los Alisos, a short distance southwest of El Toro,
and that the sound of the bells was carried even farther,
that upon top of the tower perched a gilded cock, and that
above the dome, over the transept, rose a narrow spire of
the large, square mission tile, or ladrillos.
The great church was used only six years and three months,
for on the 18th of December, 1812, the tower and nave were
destroyed by an earthquake. There is an entry in one of the
record books of the mission relating to the building of the
church, of which the following is a translation:
"The church of this Mission (was) built by its neophites
at the expense of their application and labor. It is all
of lime and stone, with the vaults of the same material,
and with a transept. It was begun on the 2nd day of February,
in the year 1797, the day dedicated to the solemnity of
the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, and finished in
the year 1806. It was blessed on the evening of the 7th
of September of this same year by the Rev. Fray Estevan
Tapis, Preacher Apostolic of the College of San Fernando,
Mexico, and President of these Missions of New or Alta California,
with the assistance of the Rev. Fathers, Fray José
de Miguel, and Fray José Antonio de Urrestí,
of the holy Province of Cantabria, Missionaries Apostolic
of the said College and Ministers of the neighboring Mission
of San Gabriel Archangel; of the Rev. Father, Fray Marcos
Antonio de Victoria, son of the same Province of Cantabria,
member of the said College and Minister of the Mission of
Santa Barbara; of the Rev. Father, Fray José Zalvidea,
son of the said Province, member of the same College, and
Minister of the Mission of San Fernando, King of Spain;
of the Rev. Father, Fray Antonio Peirí, son of the
holy Province of Cataluña, member of the same College,
and Minister of the neighboring Mission of San Luis, King
of France; of the Rev. Father, Fray Pedro de la Cueva, son
of the holy Province of Extramadura (infra Tagum) member
of the same College, and ex-minister of the Mission of San
José; of the ministers of this Mission, Fray Juan
Norberto de Santiago, native of the town of Samiano, Earldom
or Treviño, in the Province of Alabá, son
in religion of the Province of Cantabria, and member of
the same College; and of Fray José Faura, a native
of Barcelona, Capital of the Principality of Cataluña,
son in religion of the College above mentioned. There assisted
also at the blessing Señor Jose Juaquin de Arrillaga,
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Armies, and at present Governor
of this Province of Alta California Don Miguel Rodriquez,
Captain of the company of cavalry, and of the Presidio of
our Father San Francisco, and at present commander of the
Presidio of San Diego; Don Francisco Maria Ruiz, Lieutenant
of the Presidiary Company of San Diego; Don Juaquin Mastorina,
Alferez of the Company of the Presidio of Santa Barbara,
and many members of this company. There assisted also many
persons de razon, many neophites from the neighboring
missions, and others, together with all the neophites of
this mission. On the day following, the 8th of September,
a solemn Mass was celebrated, being sung by Fray Marcos
Victoria, and the sermon was preached by Father Urrestí."
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