Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad

The Mission Soledad (in English, Our Lady of Sorrows) was my favorite of all the missions.  I was moved to tears when speaking to the volunteer in the gift shop.  All I can say is...this was the most real of all the missions.  A family praying together on the Feast of St. Stephen during the octave of Christmas.  The simple functionality of this parish church that has stood the test of time and served her people well.

Mission Soledad was the 13th of the missions built in 1791 with the assistance of Fr. Lasuen and the many native tribes coming together in unity.  It was always one of the smaller of the missions with little permanence from the missionaries.  In fact the last of the missionaries left in 1835 because of the constant threat of flooding, and the church was left to decay.  However, the people remained and sought assistance.  It is still used by the local farming community surrounding the mission with priests coming from other areas to pray the Mass.

The church we visited is just an inaccurate reconstruction of the original mission.  A study of the area and its history is in action now.  In fact a newly begun excavation was seen behind the buildings.  I hope that one day we can return to see a more accurate reconstruction.  However, it might not be until our children are grown.

Although the interior is a basic design and very small compared to the other missions, it is fitting for the sorrow of Our Lady.  I am sure she would appreciate the simplicity nonetheless.  The church is likely the location of the smaller chapel for the residence, which explains the size difference.  What I found most interesting is the lovely paintings of the Stations of the Cross were preserved over the years and are hung as the main decoration for the walls.  The simple altar has Our Lady of Sorrows looking down on her Son in the tabernacle.  There are a few other small paintings scattered throughout the church that seem out of place but are likely there to preserve the art of the mission era.  The original bell for the mission has also been placed inside the church to preserve until a better suited building can be constructed.

I had not made any purchases along the mission trail as of yet and felt compelled to help in some way, especially since this mission did not ask for an admission fee.  I perused the small shop and found the perfect thing...ornaments for our Christmas tree that would help us remember our visit to all the missions.  When I made my purchase, the woman kindly offered a small cross for each of the children as well.  She also listened as I told her how much we have enjoyed the missions as a family.  She was impressed that we had made the journey and still had plans to visit the remaining nine missions.  I told her that it had not been easy with a full vehicle but we were making it work.  The mission visits were definitely worth the hassle of our crew.  It really does feel more like a pilgrimage than a vacation, in spite of all the bickering that comes with the close quarters.

This was just the first of three missions for the day.  We were back in the van and on our way north for the day.