Mission San Buenaventura

Surprisingly, we were arriving at our third mission of the day and instead of feeling tired, we were actually refreshed.  Still having some rough time on the ride between missions, but once we arrive it seems that we are able to settle down and enjoy the experience.

One thing that became increasingly obvious was the weather was changing.  We now are beginning to feel windswept and cold.  We had really hoped that we would be able to wear warm weather clothing at this time.  We were pulling out jackets and trying to stay warm.  We still loved the views along the ocean route as the waves were increasingly higher and crashing on to the beaches.

Mission San Buenaventura was in the midst of this environment.  It was not hard to see why this location was chosen for a mission.  The Chumash people assisted in building the mission.  They built it with five bells that date back to 1781.  This was the 9th mission under the leadership of Fr. Serra in 1782.    This mission was named for the 13th century Franciscan cardinal and philosopher.

It would be the last of the missions that he personally directed construction.  The Spanish government decided that there would no longer be missions designed to house converted natives.  This decision would also end the natives assistance with building the churches.  In fact, Fr. Serra resisted this government intervention and a long dispute determined the timing for this mission to be built.

This mission would prosper because of the extensive aqueduct that brought water over 7 miles, which allowed growing crops easier.  The gardens here were always considered one of the finest of the missions.

Within the church, the main altar is the original altar. The main statue of Saint Bonaventure was sent from the Philippines in 1808 and is believed to be over 400 years old. The centerpiece painting over the Altar of Our Lady of Guadalupe is by Francisco Cabrere and dates from 1747.

The doors of the Mission (replicas today) are carved with the “River of Life” (wavy line) design. The design is supposed to have been interpreted by the Indians as representing the Mission itself: the center of the niche represents the Mission; the two sloping lines on each side represent the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers that pass on either side of the Mission; the design at the top represents the local mountains.

In the museum are two wooden bells. There are many theories about why this Mission had wooden bells for a long period in its history (the bells are thought to date from 1861 or 1862 and probably hung in the cupola until at least 1907 and perhaps later).  Many believe that it was to mute the sound of the bells to avoid the attention of pirates.

We then entered the garden courtyard that was small but lush with plants and filled with statues and grottoes.

We arrived and entered into the museum that was filled with beautiful artifacts of the mission era.  This is also where the children found the Serra statue.

When we entered the church, we found an amazing altar.  However, what surprised us more was the side altar toward the back of the building that was filled with relics from many saints, as well as pieces from the True Cross.