Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá facts for kids
- Another mission named San Fernando Rey de España is in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California.
 Location in Baja California
Location in Mexico
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| Location | San Quintín Municipality, Baja California, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°58′16″N 115°14′12″W / 29.97111°N 115.23667°W |
| Patron | Ferdinand III of Castile |
| Founding date | 14 May 1769 |
| Founding priest(s) | Junípero Serra |
| Founding Order | Franciscans |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Cochimí |
Mission San Fernando Velicatá (Spanish: Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá) was a Spanish mission in Baja California, Mexico. It was about 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of El Rosario.
Junípero Serra, a Franciscan missionary, founded the mission on May 14, 1769. This was the only mission started by Franciscans in what is now Baja California.
Contents
History of the Mission
A Jesuit explorer named Wenceslaus Linck first found the spot for this mission in 1766. Later, in 1768, the Jesuits were replaced by the Franciscans. The Franciscans were tasked with expanding Spanish control further north into Alta California.
Founding the Mission
Mission San Fernando was built at a Cochimí settlement called Velicatá. This location was on the main route heading north. Junípero Serra established the mission on May 14, 1769. This day was also Pentecost. It was Father Junípero Serra's first mission before he moved north to Alta California.
Decline of the Mission
In the 1770s, the mission grew quickly. First, it was under the Franciscans, then under the Dominicans after 1773. However, its success did not last. Many native people became sick due to diseases, and the population decreased. By about 1818, no missionary lived at the site permanently anymore.
What Remains Today
Today, you can still see some ruined walls and stone foundations at the mission site. There are also petroglyphs (rock carvings) and some pictograms (rock paintings). Just west of the mission ruins, you can find an old aqueduct and a small dam.
See also
In Spanish: Misión de San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá para niños
