Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (3)

RESTORATION A summary and very interesting narrative of the restoration of San Diego de Alcala Mission has been furnished me by one who deserves the most credit for the rebuilding of this Old Mission. He spared neither time nor money in giving back to San Diego this his- torical monument, Sir Albert Mayrhofer, K.C.H.S. Extracts from his accounts are herein noted. The restoration started in 1930. It comprises the Mission Church itself, the chapel for the ch~ldren, the Sister's chapel (both in early days were used as a store-room) as well as the arcade conneating the Mission with the present Nazareth home. The campanile, likewise restored, has five bells. The upper is a mission-bell, its origin unknown, and was found in the belfry of St. Joseph's Church, now the Cathed- ral of San Diego. There are two bells in the second tier. One is an original mission-beil; the other an exact dupiicate, cast in San Diego. In the lower tier hang two bells, one a crown mission-bell, inscrib- ed "Royal Crown Bell of Spain," donated by the King of Spain, Don Carlos the Third, and brought here by the Franciscan Fathers in the time of Father Serra. The other is a recast from three mission-bells cracked when the tower was destroyed. This bell bears the inscription "Mater Dolorosa." The tile roof and tile floor are mixed with the original tile of the mission period. The timbers under the arches of the door, were hauled from the Barona and Cuyamaca Mountains. Back of these timbe.rs are steel bars supporting the walls above. The pews in the church are new, but exact duplicates of the pews in San Luis Obispo Mission. Let me call the reader's attention to the square-headed nails and the wooden pegs holdmg the parts together; likewise to the rafters with their rawhide bindings in place of nails. The stations of the Cross originally came from Spain, brought by Father Antonio Ubach. Original too, are the carved wooden statues of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and the Saints. They are encased in hermetically sealed glass, as a barrier from termites and beetles. The three paintings, the one directly over the altar represents Saint Agnes ascending into Heaven, on the left is the Virgin, and on the right is Saint Joseph with the Christ child, the center painting is from the school of Murillo, dating back to the early mission period. The one of the Blessed Virgin shows the effects of being scorched by the heat, as it was in the church at the time of its destruction by fire. They have been recently rehabilitated and are in excellent condition. The restoration of the Old Mission· r~quired a year and a half of fhtensive work, with modern implements and skilled craftsmen, at a cost of j81,000.00. -12-

The Franciscan Fathers, with unskilled laborers, the Indians, and with crude implements, worked for five years, 1769-1774, to erect this old Mission. It was a tremendous task. Before beginning this arduous and strenuous venture, the Padres had to ·.nake friends with the Indinas, teach them the arts and erafts, discipline them, and sooth- ingly encourage them to undertake and persevere in this difficult work of building the Old Mission. In the early days, the Mission was used for christianizing and edu- cating the Indians. Today the Mission stands as an historical monu- ment, endowed with many rich and interesting relics of former days, and the first of a chain of twenty-one missions. Near the Mission now stands Nazareth House, a home for chil- dren, generously supported by the people of Southern California, and conducted by the Poor Sisters of Nazareth who have consecrated their lives to this most charitable vocation, God's little ones. The Old Mission, levelled by an earthquake in 1860, long lay in an effete condition. Not 'til 1930 did it rise from its ruins through the zeal and generosity of high-spirited men. Mr. J. Marshall Miller of the University of Southern California was the hi,~torical supervisor of the restoration, and compiled the data and made etchings, thus mak- ing it possible to rebuild the Mission to exact proportions and dimen• sions of the original. Mr. I. C. Loveless was the architect. Let praise be given to Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los An- geles, the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, James Wood Coffroth, Ellen Browning Scripps, George Marston, San Diego Clearing House As- sociation, San Diego Union and Tribune, the Native Sons and Daugh- ters of the Golden West, Cave J. Couts, General and Mrs. Marshall o". Terry, Senator Ed Fletcher, Edward C. Hall, the Catholic Daugh- ters of America, and most of all to Sir Albert Mayrhofer, K.C.H.S., for their unstinted support and generous donations. MUSEUM Some years ago, a lady, in her travels through Europe, made a collection of laces, fabrics of fine threads, of linen and silk, some of very delicate •tissues. These she donated to an Eastern Univ