USD Magazine, Winter/Spring 1997

A friar.-,. 1h11 Mmilm, San Luis Ray pwunds (1890a).

encouraged the neighboring residents to return what had been taken, while other items were recovered from nearby missions where they had been sent for safekeeping. The task of restoring historic objects to their rightful owners is ongoing, Whelan explains, and one of the most satisfying parts of her work. Her favorite story of doing just that is about two patron saints and a new roof. Monsignor Eagen, while pastor at Mission San Diego de Alcala, asked for the return from Mission San Luis Rey of a painting of St. Didacus, the patron saint of his mission, Whelan recalls. Mean– while, the small Pala mission in the foothills of San Diego's moun– tains had a life-size statue of San Luis Rey that was originally above the altar at the Oceanside mission. "We wanted that back and Pala really wanted their roof redone on their school," Whelan says. "With Monsignor Eagen and the help of Terry Whitcomb, and a little fast talking with the friars, the San Diego mission supplied funds to help re-roof Pala, Pala gave us our

Mmian San Luis Ray (187Ds-188Da).

statue back and we gave San Diego their painting back. "All the patron saints found their home!" she says. What·s Past is Prologue

Thirty-one years after students began excavating Mission San Diego de Alcala, their 1990s counterparts are still studying timeless truths of the past in preparation for the future. 2000 A.D. may be just around the corner, but the history of San Diego's missions can pro– vide insight into the future well beyond the tum of the century. "What is past is prologue; that's the quote over our national archives," Lowry says. "If we don't know our past we really can't plan the future, because we don't know what we've come from."

USO llludanls at MiDian San Diaga W11n lulund in an ad far 1h11 uninnity in a 19&0• adilian al fimamaguina.