San Carlos Mission

So...as mentioned in the past blog...our plans were rearranged.  Mission San Carlos was closed the previous day, so we decided the best option was to go to Mass at this mission.  It was a wonderful option in the end and I am so glad our plans were changed.  There is something special about going to Mass in an old church.  It just makes one feel like they are part of something bigger that has passed the test of time.  Besides, it was easy to find a heavenly focus when seeing the beauty of the building that was designed to please God.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was dedicated to a saint (a 16th century Italian bishop and cardinal) we had just learned about as his feast day is in November.  This was the third of the missions built with direction from Fr. Serra in 1770.  It is also the parish that Fr. Serra was most actively involved as it was considered his headquarters.  He was actually buried near the altar here in 1784 and Fr. Lasuen would be buried here in 1803.

SIDE NOTE:  We were told at a previous mission that it was customary for the military to have the first mission in a new area built for their use.  A second mission would then begin to be built.  Both missions would coincide under the same name and spiritual leadership with the first mission dissolving with the establishment of the more permanent setting.  This was never proven with actual artifacts until an excavation took place at the nearby Cathedral of San Carlos near the Presidio.  It is now thought to be the standard procedure for all the system of missions.  The same builder, Manuel Ruiz, would design and construct both of the permanent churches in 1794.

The site for this mission was actual chosen over 200 years previously by the original Spanish explorers.  The explorers, including Fr. Serra had a difficult time establishing the location but placed a mission cross here on their way to find San Francisco.  So I guess it really was meant to be here as it was chosen three times before the mission was actually built (Cabrillo-1540s, Vizcaino-1602, and Fr. Serra-1769).

Now we arrived early and as we sat in the middle of this historical mission church, we were able to look around with ease.  Zaira was drawn to a side altar with a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Bethlehem.  It turns out this altar was a special place of prayer for Pope St John Paul II when he visited here in 1987.  She would see many versions of Our Lady throughout the church to enjoy.  She stopped and said a prayer at each one.

After Mass, we were able to take a closer look the altar and other pictures and statues around the church.  The sacristan and some of the long time parishioners were kind enough to answer some of our questions.

One question explained to us was related to the Basilica status of the building and some of the features found in the building.  The blog related to the missions explains it best:

borrowed picture

"Two of the first things you see are the Umbraculum (canopy) and Tintinnabulum (bells).  The Unbraculum is a symbol used to signify a Basilica. It is cloth rather than solid because when a Pope visits the Basilica the Unbraculum is opened. It derives from the use of such an umbrella to shield early Popes from the sun. The Tintinnabulum is used when a Pope says Mass in a church to lead the procession into the church. These were used during the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1987."  (missiontours.org)



There are statues and paintings throughout the interior of the church.  Then there is the decorative design and Moorish influence that captures the eye.  I do believe this was one of the most beautiful of all the missions.


I must say...of all the missions, I was also most impressed by the collection of historical articles throughout the church and museum.  It was an overload of amazing items to remember.  I was thankful for "unlimited" picture taking ability so I could digest what I saw later.  Also, it did help to know that we could return to this mission (only 10 minutes from our house) if we felt like seeing the mission again.

One of our favorite places here...were the gardens!  Well kept and full of statues everywhere!  The courtyard was also very open and easy to walk through.  The children were drawn to the fountain.

At the base are the words:
"Death when she passed through California
on horseback in her pilgrimage
through the 21 missions."
I am wondering if there is more message on the other side.

Then we went into the side room that led into the museum (we kind of did the tour backwards because we had gone to Mass).  We saw the most amazing sarcophagus dedicated to Fr. Serra.  I have never seen anything like it and it really told the story of those dedicated to following this many into the mission field.  It also paid homage to the state symbol of the bear, which its history was obviously important to Fr. Serra.  The monks depicted are obviously shown caring for their lost leader and giving a final blessing.  It is hard to see from the picture, but it is quite large and takes up most of the room.  In the background is also one of the original altars for the mission.

By the way, Fr. Serra is not buried here.  His remains are located under the altar.  There has been much controversy about his location over the years, so it has been verified multiple times.  Also, the original wooden coffin (in pieces) has been placed in an enclosed case at the front of the church as well.  This seems a little extreme but I suppose this wood physically touched him so the pieces are considered relics.


Our journey of the wise men began at this mission also.  They would have began the day before but I forgot to grab them on our way out the door!  It was fitting that they would be placed at this beautiful nativity in the main church building.