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Description
Mission San Diego de Alcala was founded in July of 1769 and was the first of the 21 missions founded along the coast of California. Mission San Diego de Alcala is often known as “Mother of the Missions” and has been declared a “Minor Basilica” by the Catholic Church. For most of its history this mission was one of the poorest due to poor land for growing crops and a frequent lack of sufficient water. In 1775 there was a revolt led by Native Americans against the mission succeeded in killing the mission priest and burning the mission down. Mission San Diego de Alcala was rebuilt in the same style as an army fort to repel future revolts and continued its missionary service until the secularization period when the mission was used to house artillery units. It was later abandoned then used for a Native American school. In 1931 the dilapidated mission was rebuilt by the church to resemble its 1813 appearance and it is today an active participant in San Diego’s parish. The plaque pictured here reads, “Mission San Diego de Alcala, California’s first mission founded by Father Junipero Serra – July 1769. Reconstructed by the generous aid of the citizens of San Diego 1931, fully restored by the charity of the Hearst Foundation 1946, rededicated to the glory of God and the salvation of souls by its re-establishment as a parish church under the title Mission San Diego de Alcala 1941. This plaque presented by the Ali Caravan No. 134, San Diego, Order of the Alhambra, May 13, 1961.”
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