Mission San Francisco de Asís facts for kids
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Mission Dolores adobe chapel (left)
Mission Dolores Basilica (right) |
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 Location in San Francisco
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 320 Dolores Street San Francisco, California 94114 |
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| Coordinates | 37°45′51.8″N 122°25′37.3″W / 37.764389°N 122.427028°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión de Nuestro Padre San Francisco de Asís |
| English translation | The Mission of Our Father Saint Francis of Assisi |
| Patron | Saint Francis of Assisi |
| Nickname(s) | "Mission Dolores" |
| Founding priest(s) | Francisco Palóu; Junípero Serra |
| Founding Order | Sixth |
| Military district | Fourth |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Ohlone Costeño |
| Native place name(s) | Chutchui |
| Baptisms | 6,898 |
| Marriages | 2,043 |
| Burials | 11,000= 5,000 (Europeans/Americans), 6,000 (Indians) |
| Secularized | 1834 |
| Returned to the Church | 1857 |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco |
| Current use | Parish Church |
| Designated | 1972 |
| Reference no. | #72000251 |
| Official name: Site of original Mission Dolores chapel and Dolores Lagoon | |
| Reference no. | 327-1 |
| Designated | April 11, 1968 |
| Reference no. | 1 |
| Website | |
| http://www.missiondolores.org | |
The Mission San Francisco de Asís (which means "Mission of Saint Francis of Assisi" in Spanish), is also known as Mission Dolores. It is a historic Catholic church complex in San Francisco, California. The Archdiocese of San Francisco operates the complex. Spanish Catholic missionaries built it in the 1700s.
The mission complex has two important buildings:
- The Mission Dolores adobe chapel, built in 1776. It is the oldest building in San Francisco.
- The Mission Dolores Basilica, built in 1918. In 1952, Pope Pius XII named it a basilica.
The mission complex is in the Mission District of San Francisco. Frs Francisco Palóu and Pedro Benito Cambón founded it on October 9, 1776. The Franciscan Order sent these priests to Alta California (which is now California). Their goal was to bring in Spanish settlers and teach the local Ohlone people about Christianity. The Mission Dolores Basilica replaced an earlier brick church built in 1876. That church was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
History of Mission Dolores
How the Mission Started (1700s)
In March 1776, a Spanish missionary named Pedro Font explored the area. He was with the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza. They looked for a good spot for a new mission in the Bay Area. The Spanish missionaries named the new mission San Francisco de Asís. This honored Francis of Assisi, who started the Franciscan Order. People soon began calling it Mission Dolores. This name came from a nearby creek, Arroyo de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (which means "Our Lady of Sorrows Creek").
On October 9, 1776, the missionaries opened a small chapel in what is now San Francisco. Some records say the chapel was near where Camp and Albion Streets are today. Members of the local Ramaytush Ohlone tribe began joining the mission in 1785. Later, these Ohlone people helped build the new mission church.
Building the adobe walls for the Mission Dolores church started in 1788. Ohlone workers made 36,000 bricks for the walls. By 1790, the walls were finished, plastered, and painted with whitewash. The missionary Junípero Serra is said to have held a church service there while it was still being built.
The Mission Dolores adobe church was finished in 1791. Its adobe walls were four feet thick. The roof beams were made of redwood. The ceiling had traditional Ohlone designs painted with natural plant dyes. At this time, the mission complex also had a convent and places for farming and making goods.
Life at the Mission (1800 to 1848)
The early 1800s were the busiest time for Mission San Francisco.
- Many People: From 1810 to 1820, about 1,100 Native Americans lived at the mission.
- Lots of Animals: In 1810, the mission owned 11,000 sheep, 11,000 cows, and thousands of horses, goats, pigs, and mules.
- Big Land: Its farms and ranches reached as far south as San Mateo and east to Alameda. Horses were kept on Potrero Hill. Cows were milked along Dolores Creek, where Mission High School is now.
- Making Cloth: Twenty looms were used to turn wool into cloth. The mission's land was said to be about 125 miles around.
In 1817, the Franciscans built Mission San Rafael Arcángel in San Rafael, California. It was an asistencia (a kind of branch mission) that served as a hospital. It became its own independent mission in 1822.
In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence ended. Mexico became independent and took control of Alta California. The new Mexican government and the Franciscan leaders of the missions had disagreements. Supplies became hard to get. Over 5,000 Native Americans at Mission San Francisco died from sickness and other problems. The Mexican government decided to free the Native Americans who were living at the missions. They also planned to give them mission lands.
New rules came from the Mexican Secularization Act of 1833. This act forced the missions to start selling their large properties in 1834. This meant each mission could only keep its church, the priests' home, and small garden plots around the church. Mission San Francisco sold most of its property in 1836. By 1842, only eight Native Americans still lived there.
Changes and Growth (1848 to 1900)
The Mexican–American War ended in 1848. After this, Mission San Francisco and the rest of Alta California became part of the United States. With Mexico no longer in charge, the old rules for the California missions ended.
In 1848, the California Gold Rush began. This brought many people and businesses to the San Francisco area. In the 1850s, the city built two wooden roads from downtown to the Mission District. This area quickly became a popular place for fun and entertainment. The Franciscans sold or rented some of the remaining mission land to builders. These builders put up saloons and gambling halls. By 1857, the Franciscans had given control of Mission San Francisco to the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
In the late 1800s, the archdiocese changed part of the old convent. They added a two-story wooden section to use as a seminary (a school for priests) and a home for priests. The rest of the convent building became a tavern called the Mansion House. By 1876, the archdiocese tore down the Mansion House. They built a large Gothic Revival brick church in its place. This new church could hold more people than the adobe church.
The archdiocese also covered the adobe church with clapboard siding. This was done to make it look better and to protect it. The siding was taken off during a later repair.
Modern Times (1900 to Today)
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed the brick church. It also damaged the adobe building. A huge fire started because of the earthquake. To stop the fire from reaching the two mission buildings, firefighters blew up the convent and the School of Notre Dame building across the street. In 1913, the archdiocese started building the Mission Dolores Church. This new church would replace the brick church that was destroyed. The architect Willis Polk repaired the old adobe building in 1917.
Building the new Mission Dolores Church was delayed. This was because the United States entered World War I in 1917. The church was finally finished in 1918. It was updated in 1926. The archdiocese added fancy churrigueresque decorations. These designs were inspired by displays at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, California.
In 1952, Archbishop John J. Mitty announced exciting news. Pope Pius XII had made Mission Dolores a minor Basilica. This was the first church west of the Mississippi River to be called a basilica. It was also the fifth basilica named in the United States.
Today, the church built in 1918 is called the Mission Dolores Basilica. The older adobe chapel from 1791 is still called the Mission Dolores. The mission complex also includes a historic cemetery.
Other Important Recognitions
- San Francisco Designated Landmark #1 – City & County of San Francisco
- California Historical Landmark #327-1 – This marks the spot of the first Mission Dolores chapel and Dolores Lagoon.
- California Historical Landmark #393 – This is "The Hospice," an outpost of Mission Dolores started in 1800 in San Mateo, California.
- California Historical Landmark #784 – El Camino Real (the farthest north Junípero Serra visited).
Art at Mission Dolores
Mission Dolores Mural
The Mission Dolores adobe chapel has a special Mission Dolores mural. Ohlone artists painted it in 1791. The mural covers the entire back wall of the building, behind the old wooden altar. It is 22 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It also has two spots for statues. In 1796, the Franciscans put a fancy, carved screen called a reredos in front of the mural. Later, the mural was covered with wooden boards. People rediscovered the mural during a renovation in 1910.
Part of the mural shows the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The mural also has a picture of a rooster. A rooster is a Christian symbol that represents Jesus's resurrection.
Junípero Serra Statue
A statue of Junípero Serra stands on the grounds of the Mission San Francisco complex. The American artist Arthur Putnam designed this stone sculpture. He finished it in 1909. It was cast (made) between 1916 and 1917. It was placed at the mission in 1918 when the mission was being updated.
D.J. McQuarry paid for the sculpture, which cost $500 to make. It is about 6 feet 6 inches tall. The statue shows Serra wearing a Franciscan friar's robe. It has a knotted rope belt and a rosary around his neck. The sculpture stands on a concrete base. This statue is one of several figures that show California history. These were paid for by the estate of E. W. Scripps. In 1993, the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program checked the statue. They found that it was well cared for.
Francis of Assisi Stained Glass Window
The Mission Dolores Basilica has a beautiful stained glass window of Francis of Assisi. The German artist Franz Xaver Zettler created it when the church was built.
Leaders of the Mission
Here is a list of the main leaders of Mission San Francisco de Asís over the years:
- Francisco Palóu and Pedro Benito Cambón – June 27, 1776 (They founded the mission)
- Francisco Palóu – 1776 to 1784
- Eugene O'Connell – 1854
- Richard Carroll – 1854 to 1860
- John J. Prendergast – 1860 to 1867
- Thomas Cushing – 1867 to 1875
- Richard P. Brennan – 1875 to 1904
- Patrick Cummins – 1904 to 1916
- John W. Sullivan – 1916 to 1939
- Thomas A. Connolly – 1939 to 1948 (He was the first auxiliary bishop and first rector)
- James T. O'Dowd – 1948 to 1950 (rector)
- Merlin Guilfoyle – 1950 to 1969 (rector)
- Norman F. McFarland – 1970 to 1974 (He was the last rector)
- Richard S. Knapp – 1974, 1974 to 1983 (He first served as an administrator, then as pastor)
- John J. O'Connor – 1983 to 1997
- Maurice McCormick – 1997 to 2003
- William J. Justice – 2003 to 2007 (He became a bishop after leaving Mission Dolores)
- Arturo Albano – 2007 to 2015
- Francis Mark P Garbo – 2015 to present
See also
In Spanish: Misión San Francisco de Asís para niños
- Spanish missions in California
- List of Spanish missions in California
- San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia
- List of San Francisco Designated Landmarks
- USNS Mission Dolores (AO-115) – a ship built during World War II.
- USNS Mission San Francisco (AO-123) – another ship built during World War II.
- Mission Dolores Outpost
