Mission San Buenaventura facts for kids
The restored chapel at Mission San Buenaventura in July, 2005
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 Location in California
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| Location | 211 East Main Street Ventura, California 93001 |
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| Coordinates | 34°16′52″N 119°17′53″W / 34.28111°N 119.29806°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión San Buenaventura |
| English translation | St. Bonaventure Mission |
| Patron | St. Bonaventure |
| Nickname(s) | "Mission by the Sea" |
| Founding date | March 31, 1782 |
| Founding priest(s) | Junípero Serra, O.F.M. |
| Founding Order | Ninth |
| Military district | Second |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Chumash Ventureño |
| Native place name(s) | Mitsqanaqa'n |
| Baptisms | 3,875 |
| Marriages | 1,097 |
| Burials | 3,150 |
| Secularized | 1836 |
| Returned to the Church | 1862 |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles |
| Current use | Parish church / museum |
| Official name: Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site | |
| Designated | 1975 |
| Reference no. | #75000496 |
| Reference no. | #310 |
Mission San Buenaventura (Spanish: Misión San Buenaventura) is a historic Spanish mission located in Ventura, California. It is also known as the Mission Basilica of San Buenaventura. This mission was founded on March 31, 1782, by Junípero Serra. It was the ninth Spanish mission built in Alta California (which is now California). It was also the last mission that Father Serra himself established.
The mission is named after St. Bonaventure, a very important Franciscan saint from the 1200s. In 2020, Pope Francis gave the church a special title, making it a minor basilica. This means it's a very important church in the Catholic Church.
Mission San Buenaventura was first planned in 1770. But it took a long time to get enough soldiers to protect the new mission. The first church building here burned down in 1793. Today, only the church and its garden remain from the original mission.
Contents
Building the Mission and Water System
The idea for San Buenaventura Mission started on March 30, 1749. This is when a Franciscan friar named Junípero Serra decided to become a missionary. He wanted to travel to the New World to help the native people.
Thirty-three years later, on March 31, 1782, Father Serra finally set up a cross. This was on the beach near what is now Ventura. He held a special Mass and dedicated the mission to San Buenaventura. It was supposed to be the third mission built. But it ended up being the ninth and the last one Father Serra founded in his lifetime.
Friar Pedro Benito Cambon was left in charge of the new mission. Under his guidance, the local Chumash people helped build a system of aqueducts. These were like canals and stone pipes. They brought water from the Ventura River to the mission. This water system was built between 1805 and 1815. It was about 7 miles (11 km) long.
With plenty of water, the mission had amazing orchards and gardens. An English explorer named George Vancouver said they were the best he had ever seen. Sadly, floods in 1862 damaged the water system, and it was no longer used.
The first church at the mission was destroyed by fire in 1793. They tried to build a second church, but it had problems. A strong, permanent church was finally finished in 1812. Around the same time, two smaller chapels, the San Miguel Chapel and the Santa Gertrudis Chapel, were also completed.
Challenges and Changes
In 1812, a series of earthquakes hit, along with a seismic sea wave (like a tsunami). The friars and the native people living at the mission had to move inland for safety. Six years later, in 1818, they had to quickly move important religious items and flee into the hills. This was to escape an attack by a pirate named Hippolyte de Bouchard. He was attacking missions along the coast.
After Mexico became independent from Spain, the Mexican government took control of the missions in 1834. This meant the friars no longer managed them. In 1845, Mission San Buenaventura was rented out and later sold.
The mission also saw action during the Mexican–American War (1846–1847). On January 5, 1847, American soldiers fought a group of Mexican Californians near the mission.
Under United States Control
When California became a state in the United States, the Catholic Church asked for the mission lands back. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln agreed. He returned the church, living areas, cemetery, orchard, and vineyard to the Church.
An earthquake in 1857 badly damaged the mission's tile roof, so it was replaced with shingles. In 1893, a priest named Cyprian Rubio "modernized" the church's inside. He painted over old artwork and changed many things. The windows were made longer, and the original ceiling and floor were covered up.
Later, during the time of Father Patrick Grogan, the church roof was tiled again. New buildings like a convent and rectory were built. A new fountain was also placed in the garden.
Children have been educated at Mission San Buenaventura since 1829. A school building, Holy Cross School, was built in 1922. It was expanded over the years to teach more students.
In the 1950s, a big restoration project brought the church back closer to its original look. The windows were changed back to their first size. The old ceiling and floor were uncovered. A new bell was added to the bell tower. It rings automatically for the Angelus prayer.
In 1976, the entire church roof was replaced. The church was officially blessed again by Cardinal Timothy Manning. In 1982, the mission celebrated its 200th birthday! A new three-story school building was opened in 2001. It has classrooms for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. It also has a chapel, kitchen, and a large hall. The mission celebrated its 225th anniversary in 2006–07.
What You Can See Today
Today, the main church building and its garden are all that remain of the original mission. There is a small museum at the mission. It shows artifacts from the Chumash people and items from the mission era. Unlike many other California missions, San Buenaventura is still in the heart of its original town.
The church is still an active Catholic parish. About 2,000 families attend services there. The current pastor is Tom Elewaut. In 2018, a copy of the famous Pieta statue was given to the parish. A statue of Father Serra was moved to the mission garden in 2024.
Mission Life and Industries
Life at Mission San Buenaventura involved many activities. The mission had many animals, including cattle, horses, sheep, donkeys, and goats. Cattle were very important. They provided food, oil, and hides (animal skins). In 1818, there were over 35,000 cattle roaming the mission lands!
The soil around Mission San Buenaventura was very fertile. This allowed the mission to grow many different crops. They grew apples, grapes, bananas, pears, plums, pomegranates, figs, oranges, coconuts, beans, grain, corn, and barley. In 1818, they harvested over 12,000 bushels of grain.
Mission Bells
Bells were very important for daily life at the mission. They rang to call people to prayer, meals, and work. Mission San Buenaventura had five bells. Some of them were borrowed from Mission Santa Barbara and were never returned!
One bell facing north is named S. San Francisco 1781. Another facing east says San Pedro Alcantra 1781. A smaller bell has the words Ave Maria S. Joseph. The largest bell is used every day. It says Ave Maria Pruysyma D Sapoyan Ano D 1825. This means "Hail Mary Most Pure. Mary of Zapopan Year of 1825." This bell was originally made for a church in Mexico.
There is also a bell that was a gift from a Spanish leader. It says Marquez de Croix Mexico November 12, 1770. This bell is now privately owned.
The museum at the mission has two unique wooden bells. They are about two feet tall. These were the only wooden bells found in all the California missions!
Images for kids
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Olive oil press
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Marian shrine
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Bell marking the El Camino Real
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Wooden cross, overlooking Pacific
See also
In Spanish: Misión San Buenaventura para niños
