California Missions (1937)

[Music] the first real pioneers of what is now the state of California were The Franciscan friars on foot and with slow crude means of transportation these Earnest kindly emissaries of the church and civilization defying dangers established a line of missions which stretched for almost 700 miles for more than a century and a half the picturesque edifices Remain the greatest historical landmarks of the Golden State the fr s came from all Mexico under the leadership of the indominable father Huna rera in San Diego Bay on July 16 1769 father Sarah assisted by Don Gasper de Porta the first governor of California held the ceremony founding San Diego de Alcala the first of these missions and claiming the country for the church and Carlos II king of Spain today the crumbling edges of its pearly white walls give an even richer Beauty to the scene and the ancient Tower Bells though silent seem to Echo the long forgotten music which called To Worship the converts of those Friars who are so unforgettably perpetuated in memory and the missions they built [Music] although this unexplored land was fabulously known to the Spaniards as island of Amazon the terrestrial Paradise to Journey Through the country meant constant Hazard of being massacred by hostile Indians but neither danger nor difficulty restrain these holy men in their peaceful Conquest [Music] it was less than a year later that a second mission on El Camino roale or the Kings Highway was founded this was San Carlos boromeo on Monterey Bay the present structure was built 5 miles from the site originally selected this became father Sarah's headquarters and here he is [Music] Buri in their further Journeys Little Wonder it is that the pioneering Friars were loathed to leave this mission in the Pleasant Valley of Carmel [Music] San Gabrielle Arcangel not far from Los Angeles is known as the queen of missions it was once surrounded by a starcade to protect its inhabitants from the marauding bands of savages drama romance and poetry still linger at San Gabrielle now the scene of the famous Mission play [Music] it was from San Gabriel Mission on September 4th 1781 that a small Detachment of soldiers priests and 44 settlers formed a procession to dedicate formally the tiny Plaza of a new town and named de Angeles San Capistrano is considered one of the most beautiful of all these missions the first attempt to establish it ended in failure and when finally completed an earthquake which occurred during a religious service shook the beautiful building into ruins and killed many of the congregation [Music] there were times when The Franciscan friers were dependent upon the military to protect their missions from being being destroyed and themselves from being wiped out although much of their traveling was done alone and unarmed their object was to make friends of and convert the native inhabitants rather than to subjugate them with force and [Applause] [Music] violence the Santa Barbara mission was named in honor of the Feast of St Barbara having been found founded on that religious occasion the date was December 4th 1786 within a year a chapel was built as well as a house for priests quarters for married and unmarried men a granery and a kitchen from this date on the mission grew larger and the community rapidly prospered it became the center of an aristocratic Spanish colony by the end of 187 there were 252 of what might be called California's first Bungalows surrounding the [Music] [Applause] Church the mission of San Juan Bautista was founded on June 24th 1797 on the day of the Feast of St John the Baptist it took hundreds of workers 15 years to complete the church and other buildings in its tall tower still hangs the chime of nine Bells which sent their music out over the surrounding Wilderness and in the big Courtyard are interesting relics of long last days and moods of occupation the church proper is sufficiently large to accommodate a thousand worshippers it is said that an early Padre of San Juan once set an organ on a prominence overlooking the valley and began to play When the Indians first heard the strange sweet music they fell upon their faces in fear finally approaching to gather and raptured about the frier who played for an hour and then preached to them [Music] the mission of San Fernando re near Los Angeles was dedicated to San Fernando III king of Spain its Checker shaded cloysters look onto patio Gardens that are remindful of Gethsemane [Music] in the midst of this quiet sanctimony stands a statue of pripara whose accomplishment was far more than religion and who built in California even a greater Monument than any and all of his missions even the soft breezes in the palms and narl branches seem to join in a tum of praise to those patriarchal sages who pioneered the Golden State and no matter what one's Creed may be respect and reverence is under deniable [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] San Luis Reay founded in 1798 was once the richest and most prosperous of all these missions but today little is left of the original palacial structure except crumbling pillars and broken arches its main facade born on 32 great Square pillars supporting arches is little more than a white skeleton of its former Beauty Padre Perry the frier who designed the buildings and supervised this Mission labored for 30 years to build a tiny Empire in the [Music] wilderness its bells ring no more but the Padre and his work are not forgotten near the ruins of the original Mission has been erected an attractive building in keeping with the architecture of the old ones this is now appropriately used as a college for the training of missionaries for the [Music] field the work they set out to do now completed stands throughout the great state of California as an everlasting Monument to father junipa rosera and his courageous followers of the cross [Music] the