Mission Dolores Basilica

We’re facing a drastic change of style, and you’re now in front of the Mission of St. Francis of Assisi, also known as Mission Dolores due to its proximity to Dolores Creek. This Catholic church is the oldest in the city and the only one of the 21 missions established by the Franciscans along the Pacific coast to evangelize the Indians that is still intact. It was built in 1776 by order of Junipero Serra. Junipero is THE star missionary of the church often considered as the apostle of California. He was even beatified by the church in 1988. A highly controversial canonization among Americans, and more particularly among California’s native communities, for whom the arrival of the Franciscans was associated with suffering, slavery, as well as death and abandonment of their cultures. The Pope even apologized in 2015 acknowleding that the Church mistreated aboriginal communities around the world. But for the record, the statue of Junipero is well installed in Washington’s Capitol representing California. That’s how important he is! Anyway, back to 1776. The Franciscans arrived in San Francisco. The Spaniards founded San Francisco in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order. At first, they sent the Jesuits, then the Franciscans came and chased them away, set up their missions and began evangelizing. These Spanish missions in California were created by the Spanish crown to convert the natives, but also to protect their interests and Spanish territory by setting up colonies. Native Americans, who had no say in this, were converted and put to work building and prospering the mission. The Spanish, at the time, had plenty of problems at home, and began to lose interest in California. In 1822, Mexico became independent from Spain, and California came under the governance of the new state. As a result, the mission was abandoned. To better understand all of this, you can visit the basilica and a small chapel that houses a museum retracing the mission’s history. You’ll also see its cemetery, the last remaining within the city limits, where many Indians and personalities of the time are buried. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Its importance on every level makes it an absolute highlight if you seek to understand the city’s history.