Mission San Juan Capistrano is gearing up for its 250th anniversary in 2026, an important milestone since its founding on November 1, 1776. This milestone offers a chance to reflect on the mission’s long cultural, historical, and spiritual legacy.

One of the centerpiece programs for the anniversary is a monthly rotating artifact exhibition. Each month throughout 2026, the Mission will highlight a different historical object from its archives — many rarely seen by the public. These artifacts span from early mission life to later historical eras, and they help tell the story of the Mission’s people, culture, and legacy.

Speaker & History Series

Local historical groups such as the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society and docent organizations are planning special talks and lectures as part of the 250th commemoration, exploring the mission’s history, its founders, and regional heritage.

City-Wide Commemoration & Public Events

The City of San Juan Capistrano and community partners have been actively preparing festivities to highlight both the Mission and the city’s shared history. This includes:

Public banners and signage around town celebrating the 250th anniversary.

Collaborations between the Mission, the Chamber of Commerce, and local volunteers to promote downtown activities and heritage celebrations throughout 2026.

These community-wide efforts tie the anniversary more broadly to local identity and pride.

Anniversary Celebration

The official anniversary date — November 1, 2026 — will be a major highlight, with special recognition of the Mission’s founding date. While details are still being developed, this day is expected to be marked with public programs, commemorations, and interpretive activities celebrating 250 years of history and culture.

The California Missions Foundation is working with Mission San Juan Bautista to fund a rehabilitation project for the front facade of the Mission Church. This project will strengthen the structure so that in the event of seismic activity, the landmark mission will be able to withstand the impact.  

Because the mission sits very close to the San Andreas Fault, its front façade (church entrance, baptistry, choir loft) is especially vulnerable to seismic shaking.

The main scope of the retrofit includes:

• Seismic strengthening and stabilization of the church’s front façade and façade/entry area.

• Roof replacement, masonry repointing, gutters/downspouts, repair of deteriorating plaster, brick & stone.
• A temporary facility for the parish during construction (so worship/operations can continue during construction).

Funding includes grants from the Ntaional Parks Foundattion (as part of their Save America’s Treasures (SAT) Grant Program), fundraising by the non-profit Mission San Juan Bautista Preservation Fund, as well as a grant from the California Missions Foundation. Visit the California Missions Foundation website to donate to the project.

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San Juan Bautista is the 15th California Mission, founded in 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuén. The current church was completed and dedicated in 1812, replacing an earlier adobe chapel built in 1797. The church is the largest in the mission chain; the two side naves are unique. 

On July 11, 2020 Mission San Gabriel Arcángel suffered a devastating fire that destroys the roof and choir loft, and did extensive damage. The mission was founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771 and is widely known as the “birthplace of Christianity in Los Angeles.”

After three years of restoration, the mission reopened on July 1, 2023.

On April 23, 2025, the mission was awarded the Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award, given out annually by the Los Angeles Conservancy, a major nonprofit dedicated to advocating for and recognizing historic preservation in Los Angeles County.

The award recognized:

• Exceptional restoration after damage: The 2020 arson fire severely damaged the mission’s roof and interior just before its 250th anniversary, collapsing the roof and destroying original materials.
• Careful preservation: The restoration project painstakingly rebuilt the structure using historical references, salvageable materials, and expert craftsmanship to faithfully match the mission’s original look and structural design.
• Commitment to heritage: This project balanced historical accuracy with modern preservation standards, restoring everything from roof trusses and redwood ceilings to plaster, woodwork, and decorative elements.

The award doesn’t just recognize construction work — it celebrates the mission’s role as a living cultural and spiritual landmark in L.A. County.

By preserving the mission, the project helps maintain one of the region’s oldest and most historically significant sites, honoring the community’s heritage and ensuring the mission continues to serve as a place of worship and public history.

Read More at the Los Angeles Conservancy website.

Were There Four or Five Presidios?

We wanted to get Google AI’s opinion on the number of presidios in Alta California.

We were surprised and pleased to see that Google cited our website as a source for its response!

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Read more about the California Mission Presidios and the Soldados de Cuera (leather jacket soldiers) who were served there.

As an experiment, I decided to have an AI engine create a quiz. I gave ChatGPT the following prompt:

“Create a fun and interesting quiz, with twenty multiple-choice questions about the California missions. Each question should have four answer, and only the first one should be correct.”

The quiz produced by ChatGPT is shown below. Here are some things that I noticed:

• The quiz is not bad. It would certainly be appropriate for students studying the missions.
• The quiz is very easy. (I should have stated a difficulty level.)
• The answer to question 4 is arguable – which is not a good thing in a quiz! From the standpoint of the church, the purpose of the missions was to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. But from the standpoint of the Spanish government, the purpose was to establish control over Alta California and deter incursions from Russia and England.
• The answer to question 9 is simply wrong. The missions produced more wheat, barley, and maize (corn) than they did grapes.
• I asked ChatGPT to list the “correct” answer to each questions first. If you were going to give this quiz to someone, you’d obviously need to mix up the answers!

Still, I’d give ChatGPT a B+ for this effort. It’s a pretty good quiz!

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California Missions Quiz, created by ChatGPT

1. Who founded the first California mission?

• (A) Father Junípero Serra
• (B) Gaspar de Portolá
• (C) Juan Bautista de Anza
• (D) Hernán Cortés

2. What was the first mission established in California?

• (A) Mission San Diego de Alcalá
• (B) Mission San Francisco de Asís
• (C) Mission San Juan Capistrano
• (D) Mission Santa Barbara

3. How many missions were built in California?

• (A) 21
• (B) 12
• (C) 25
• (D) 18

4. What was the main purpose of the California missions?

• (A) To convert Native Americans to Christianity
• (B) To establish military forts
• (C) To find gold
• (D) To expand trade routes

5. Which mission is known for the annual return of the swallows?

• (A) Mission San Juan Capistrano
• (B) Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
• (C) Mission Santa Clara de Asís
• (D) Mission San Buenaventura

6. What architectural style are the missions primarily built in?

• (A) Spanish Colonial
• (B) Gothic
• (C) Victorian
• (D) Modernist

7. Which mission is sometimes called the “Queen of the Missions”?

• (A) Mission Santa Barbara
• (B) Mission San Diego de Alcalá
• (C) Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
• (D) Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

8. What material was commonly used to construct mission buildings?

• (A) Adobe bricks
• (B) Stone
• (C) Wood
• (D) Metal

9. What was the main agricultural product grown at the missions?

• (A) Grapes for wine
• (B) Corn
• (C) Potatoes
• (D) Coffee

10. Which mission was the last to be built?

• (A) Mission San Francisco Solano
• (B) Mission San Rafael Arcángel
• (C) Mission San Fernando Rey de España
• (D) Mission La Purísima Concepción

11. What was the name of the road connecting all the missions?

• (A) El Camino Real
• (B) La Ruta de Oro
• (C) El Sendero Histórico
• (D) La Vía Antigua

12. Which mission is famous for its twin bell towers?

• (A) Mission Santa Barbara
• (B) Mission San Juan Capistrano
• (C) Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
• (D) Mission San Buenaventura

13. Who controlled the missions after Mexico gained independence from Spain?

• (A) The Mexican government
• (B) The Spanish king
• (C) The Native Americans
• (D) The U.S. government

14. What happened to most of the missions after secularization?

• (A) They were abandoned or fell into ruin
• (B) They were turned into fortresses
• (C) They were turned into schools
• (D) They were converted into shopping centers

15. Which mission has the largest church structure?

• (A) Mission San Juan Bautista
• (B) Mission San Diego de Alcalá
• (C) Mission Santa Cruz
• (D) Mission San Antonio de Padua

16. What type of livestock was most commonly raised at the missions?

• (A) Cattle
• (B) Horses
• (C) Sheep
• (D) Goats

17. What natural disaster damaged many missions over the years?

• (A) Earthquakes
• (B) Floods
• (C) Hurricanes
• (D) Tornadoes

18. What symbol is often used to mark the location of missions along El Camino Real?

• (A) A bell
• (B) A cross
• (C) A crown
• (D) A horseshoe

19. Which mission is closest to Los Angeles?

• (A) Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
• (B) Mission San Fernando Rey de España
• (C) Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
• (D) Mission San Juan Capistrano

20. What role did Native Americans play in the missions?

• (A) They were converted to Christianity and worked in the missions
• (B) They served as military leaders
• (C) They built their own villages outside the missions
• (D) They acted as missionaries themselves

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Now that you’ve seen the quiz created by ChatGPT, try the quiz I created:

Take the Quiz

The California Missions Foundation’s 42nd annual conference was held at Mission San José in Fremont, California, on February 14 & 15, 2025. Attendees were welcomed by Anthony Huong Le, the Pastor of the mission.

The conference program featured speakers on a wide range of topics, including the diet of Indians at Mission Santa Clara de Asís, birth and death rates in the California missions, insights drawn from mission financial ledgers, silver mining as a motivation for the mission system, and even uniforms worn by Spanish soldiers during the mission period!

There was an evening musical performance in the mission church. The mission’s student orchestra performed several pieces, including three written by Fray Narciso Durán, a Franciscan Friar and missionary who served at Mission San José and Mission Santa Bárbara. Ronald McKean, the mission’s music director, then performed several pieces on the mission’s organ. (Learn more about Music at the California Missions.)

There were also tours of the mission grounds, and the mission museum.

A highlight of the conference was the strong involvement and support of Andrew “Andy” Galvan, the current President of the Ohlone Indian Tribe. Andy lead the mission grounds tour and moderated one of the conference sessions. Vincent Medina, incoming President (who will replace Andrew upon his retirement this year), gave an outstanding presentation on the Ohlone Tribe and Mission San José.

On July 1, 2023, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel reopened, three years after a fire devastated the mission church. The reopening featured a fully restored church, and a “reimagined” museum highlighting the impact of the mission on indigenous people.

The 2020 fire extensively damaged the mission church, destroying the roof and choir loft, and damaging the altar. The original tile floors were badly damaged by the heavy equipment used to fight the fire.

Fortunately, many historical artifacts, including the mission bell and other relics, were in storage due to renovations in progress at the time of the fire.

The fire was ultimately determined to be caused by arson. 59-year-old John David Corey to stand trial on two counts of arson of a structure and one count each of arson during a state of emergency and second-degree commercial burglary.

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771. It was the 4th of the 21 California missions.

On the morning of July 11, 2020, a fire broke out at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The San Gabriel Fire Department was called and dispatched at 4:24 AM.

When fire crews arrived on the scene, they found smoke and fire coming from the choir loft, and requested assistance from neighboring fire departments. Ultimately 80 firefighters and 30 pieces of equipment (including 15 engines) were involved in containing the fire, which was extinguished at 6:45 AM.

There were no injuries required. However, the mission suffered extensive damage. The roof and choir loft were destroyed, and the pulpit and altar were damaged.

The mission was founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771 and is widely known as the “birthplace of Christianity in Los Angeles.”

Growing up in California, every school kid learns about the California missions.  A long-time staple of the 4th-grade mission curriculum was the mission model project.   Years ago, the models were usually built from sugar cubes.  More recently, students have been able to buy “kits” to build more elaborate models of their chosen mission.

The newly introduced California mission curriculum has changed all that.  While teachers can still assign a model-building project, the emphasis now is on developing a nuanced understanding of the California mission period, including the impact of the Spanish missions on Native Americans.

Te develop a better understanding of the period, teachers are encouraged to employ original source materials, such as letters written by Junípero Serra.

Read the new content framework for the California Mission Period.

 

From June 18 through September 30, 2017, the mission museum will feature an exhibit of photographs by award-winning photographic artist Craig Alan Huber.

The luminous black and white photos are drawn from Huber’s 2015 book, The Spirit Within Saint Junípero.  Through his photographs, Huber has attempted to chronicle Junípero Serra’s spiritual journey.  The photos are taken on 5×7 inch plates, using a platinum and silver process that produces rich contrasts.

The artist visited Mission San Juan Bautista in 2013 to take photographs in the mission church.  Some of these photos are included in his book, and in the exhibit at the mission. Other photos were taken in locations that played an important role in Serra’s life, including Mallorca, Spain, Sierra Gorda, Mexico, and California.

On July 1, 2017 (the Feast Day of Saint Junípero Serra), the mission will be hosting a reception for the artist from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.  For details, contact the mission gift shop at 831-623-4528 / giftshop@oldmissionsjb.org