Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (3)

THE FRIARS MINOR Many generations have come and gone since Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo explored the coast of California some 400 years _ago, 1_542. Three hundred years prior to that date the 8rder ~f Fnars ~mor, known as the Franciscans, was formed by St. .Franc1s of Ass1s1 and legally established and approved by the Church in 120?. Though among the activities of this great Order 11, embraced the field of missionary work, yet it would be far fro'? probable that the thought of christianizing the then unknown Amenca, ever entered the minds of the Friars Minor. . . D · those 550 years prior to coming to Amenca, the Friars urmg . . • f had distinguished themselves as preachers, m1ss10nanes,. con essors, ambassadors, mediators, legates, and were wdl equipped mtellectually and spiritually for the work God had in store for them. . . When the harvest was ripe, the call came to_ t~e saintly and m- "d J · ro Serra then stationed at the M1ss10nary College of trep1 umpe , . 1 Id b San Fernando, Mexico, to begin a work which ater wou e recog- . d ch"ievement worthy of a high place in the annals of the n1ze as an a . . . . b · · f Pacific coast, the civilizing and chnsttamzmg of the A ougmes o C l ·f · How this mission succeeded the records clearly dem- . a I orn1a. onstrate. d · 1 1 d These good Padres, headed by their scholarly _an samt y ea er Padre J unipero Serra, labored unceasingly :o build ho~e~ and to teach these children of the western shores. fwnty-one m1ss10n-s rose as a result of their untiring labors. THE FIRST OLD MISSION Our concern is with the First of thes~ mem?rials .which lies in the San Diego valley, hemmed in by the San Diego nver formerly, at times, a roaring torrent, but now. harnessed by dams.. Let us visit this Mission, San Diego de Alc.ila, and learn so~e- thing of its historic values. This missicfn, San Diego de Alcala, had its · · Presidio Hill where the dedication services were held, 1ncept1on on , July 16, 1769. h M" · Due to lack of water and other inconvenience~, t e_ 1ss10n, as it stands today was built six miles east on the San Diego nver. The Missi~n has passed through many vicissitudes, but the facade of the Mission and the two wings leading to _t~e entrance, as ~ell as the cobblestone base of the campanile, are ongmal. Indeed, this was the only portion of the Mission standing when the restoration start- ed in 1930. THE PALMS AND THE OLIVES As one drives through the gates up the avenue leading to the ?Id Mission, he notices the tall palm tree, supported bf ca~les, possibly the highest and one of the oldest in this part of California. -~

THE MOTHER OF THE MISSIONS T HE HISTORY of Mission San Diego de Alcala may be called an anthology, a small collection of flowers picked from the twenty-one missions. This Old Missie~ was the seed from which the other missions germinated and fructified and bloomed and blossomed, and the beau- ty of their coloring, the sweetness of their odor, the renown of their lustre, echo her glory. Its history may be classed as a classic, for it is a noble record of the aspirations and works of noble men. Thoreau defines classics as "the noblest recorded thoughts of mankind," and Aristotle adds to this definition the quality of "high seriousness." This anthology rejoices in both of these requirements and even adds another, the importance of the persons, their writings and deeds from an historical point of view. May the perusal of this brief history of ~he first old Mission help us, as Dr. Johnson happily puts it, "to enjoy our present life or teach us to endure it." I trust that he who reads this epitome of the first Old Mission may be the better for the moment at least, as one reading what Cicero says about old age, Seneca about death, Socrates about love. Just as the man reading of the "glory that was Greece," or the "grandeur that was Rome" is buoyed up with thoughts of worldly greatness, so may he who reads of the founders of this Old Mission and their works, find the higher aspirations of !ife embodied in the virtues of Justice. Temperance and Fortitude, and reflect that the great and famous men of the world and all they desired and loved are now smoke and ashes- only a tale. If the reader can rise to a higher level and see reflected in the Padres the piety of Noah, the faith of Abraham, the wisdom of Moses, men who proved such a spiritual power, precious salt to preserve humanity from the putrefication of almost universal· selfish- ness and vice; he may see in the works of these Friars a germ to arouse the human soul to a more serious contemplation of its immortal destiny. Moreover, the bowing acquaintance which can be formed here may easily offer attractions which will lead to a close and intimate friendship with the rest of the missions. Pathos and tragedy find their place here and glimpses of heroic sacrifices flit through the passing years. -4-