San Fernando Mission

When planning this trip, I did not think we would be able to make it to this mission.  I am not exactly sure why this was an issue as the mission was only a few miles from San Gabriel.  I am so glad we did not miss it as there was so much more to this mission than the plain exterior.

San Fernando Rey de Espana was the 17th of the missions built in 1797 with the assistance of Fr. Lasuen.  It was named after the Spanish king of the 13th century.  It was built with the help of the Tongva and Chumash tribes.

An interesting history for this mission as it was built with the assistance of a rancher, Don Francisco Reyes.  During construction, the padres lived in the Reyes ranch house. This was done with the concession that he would have grazing rights surrounding the mission.  Reyes was a patron at the mission’s formal dedication and became godfather to the first baptized child at the mission.

A variety of problems, including the 1812 earthquakes and the digging up of the church floor by gold prospectors when gold was discovered nearby caused much of the mission to fall into disrepair. Some restored structures include the church, monastery and some quarters around the quadrangle.  In spite all of the issues, the parish church remains active.

When touring the exterior of the mission, we noticed the long building that once housed the settlers that came for work and later to pan for gold.  This building now holds the collection of artifacts.

We then entered the church building from a side door.  If one does not look toward the altar, it may seem like a simple building.  However, a quick glance forward and we were in awe at the radiant beams that were fitting for our antiphon of the day. O Radiant Dawn, come enlighten those in darkness!

The beams of light that radiate from the statue of St. Ferdinand to represent the Holy Spirit that guided him in his life.  However, the radiance continues to the real source of the light in the darkness in the Eucharist.

After sitting for some minutes admiring the spirituality in the artwork, we continued through the opposite side doors.  We were not sure what we would find but found a surprise.  We entered in to the church cemetery that including the final resting place of Bob Hope.  We had just been to his memorial at the harbor in San Diego the previous day.  The older boys found this ironic and spent the time here laughing at this discovery.

We still had one more mission before the end of the day.