Mission Trail

I love it when we have a day like today and I learn lots of information that I never knew before. I knew about the Missions in California, but, for some reason, I did not have much, if any, awareness of the Missions in Texas.

Our first stop today was at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which is also the site of Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, or just Mission San Jose. The chain of missions established along the San Antonio River in the 1700s is a reminder of one of Spain's most successful attempts to extend its dominion northward from New Spain (present-day Mexico). Collectively they form the largest concentration of Catholic missions in North America.

Tales of riches spurred the early Spanish explorers northward across the Rio Grande. As dreams of wealth faded, the Spanish concentrated more fully on spreading the Catholic faith among the frontier Indians. The missions of San Antonio were far more than just churches, they were communities. Each was a fortified village, with its own church, farm, and ranch. Here Franciscan friars gathered native peoples, converted them to Catholicism, taught them to live as Spaniards, and helped maintain Spanish control over the Texas frontier.

The Franciscans established five missions that flourished along the San Antonio River in the early 1700s that became the foundation of the city of San Antonio. Four of the Missions are under the protection of the National Park Service and the fifth, Mission San Antonio de Valero, commonly called the Alamo, is under the care of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the state of Texas.

After viewing a very informative and well presented orientation film in the Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center, we toured the grounds of Mission San Jose right next door. In 1720 Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus founded the best known of the Texas missions, San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo. San Jose was the model mission organization and a major social center. 

The size of the complex testifies to San Jose's reputation as the "Queen of the Missions." The building of the limestone church, with its extraordinary Spanish colonial Baroque architecture, began in 1768 - the peak of this mission's development. 

Visitors in the early 1700s praised its unique church architecture and the rich fields and pastures.

The village was central to a successful mission, and the layout of the mission compound shows how important the community's life was. 

Today Concepcion is the best preserved and least altered of the Texas missions. Most of the wall decorations are original. It must have made a dramatic contrast with the frontier austerity. The mission churches continue to be places of worship and are thriving parishes. 

Massive stone walls were for defense. The mission residents learned to use firearms to fend off Comanche and Apache raids. Their skill - plus imposing walls - discouraged enemy attacks.

Fine details show the Spanish artisans' high level of skill.

Mission San Jose's Rose Window is known as the premier example of Spanish Colonial ornamentation in the United States. Its sculptor and significance continue to be a mystery. Folklore credits Pedro Huizar, a carpenter and surveyor from Spain, with carving the famous window as a monument to his sweetheart, Rosa. Tragically, on her way from Spain to join him, Rosa was lost at sea. Pedro then completed the window as a declaration of enduring love. A less colorful, but more likely theory is that the window was named after Saint Rose of Lima, the first saint of the New World.

Leaving Mission San Jose, the Mission is the middle of the five along the San Antonio River, we drove into the downtown area to Alamo Plaza where Mission San Antonio de Valero is located. This is the one mission that I did know about because I saw John Wayne (starring as David  "Davy" Crockett!) in the 1960 movie and because the Alamo epitomizes the heroic stand a contingent of brave men made against overwhelming odds in the name of freedom.

The Mission San Antonio de Valero was the first of the missions established along the San Antonio River in 1718. When the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission in the early 19th century, soldiers renamed it Alamo, the Spanish word for "cottonwood," in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras in Mexico. We were able to tour the church building, above, in which there are many historical exhibits, but photography was not allowed.

In December of 1835, Texan (citizens of the sovereign Republic of Texas) volunteers took control of the Alamo, defeating Mexican forces quartered in the city. In response, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna launched an attack on the fortress that began on Feb. 23, 1836, and lasted 13 days. The badly outnumbered Alamo garrison, whose defenders included frontiersman Jim Bowie of hunting-knife fame and American folk hero Davy Crockett, held their ground until Santa Anna's troops stormed the walls and breached the barricaded compound. This building is call the Long Barrack and is where the last stand took place and many of the defenders perished. It is now a museum.

The Long Barrack is now a Museum displaying Texas Revolution artifacts and personal items that belonged to the Alamo heroes and (attention, Bill!) these arrow heads and spear points.

The lovely grounds and gardens are planted with flowering trees, catci, and ornamental plants. The waterway that runs behind the shrine and adjacent museum building is the remains of an irrigation system (acacia) that once served the Spanish missions along the river.

Next up is the Mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purism Concepcion. The church looks essentially as it did in the mid-1700s.

Mission Concepcion is reputed to be the oldest unrestored stone church in the country and is known for its great acoustics. 

Detail of the Stations of the Cross.

The chapel contains frescoes that date from the Colonial period.

Preservationists are continuing to uncover the detailed frescos.

The last two missions are south of the City and are in a more "country" environment. 

Mission San Juan Capistrano is know for its fertile farmland and pastures and it was a regional supplier of produce. Orchards and gardens outside the walls grew peaches, melons, pumpkins, grapes and peppers. Its irrigated fields produced corn, beans, sweet potatoes, squash, and even sugar cane. 

The Chapel at Mission San Juan.

We parked the car at Mission San Juan Capistrano and walked the mile and a half to the final mission, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, along the banks of the San Antonio River.

You can't see it in this picture but there is a wide bike path that we walked on along the banks of the river.

Espada looks nearly as remote now as in the mid-1700s.

The chapel was very intimate.

The loincloth on this crucifix is made from a tee shirt that St. John Paul II left when he visited San Antonio. It was mounted and blessed at Mission Espada on December 17, 2014.

I thought Scott might enjoy seeing this incredible stonework.

The focus of activity at Mission Espada was ranching and livestock. In the Mission Museum was this display of spurs.

On the walk back from Mission Espada to Mission San Juan we crossed the San Antonio River on this  beautiful footbridge.

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