Mission Basilica of San Juan Capistrano

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Mission Basilica of San Juan Capistrano

The Mission Basilica of San Juan Capistrano is a Roman Catholic parish church northwest of the Mission San Juan Capistrano in the city ​​of the same name in California , United States . The church of the Diocese of Orange in California , named after Johannes Capistranus , was completed in 1986, made a basilica minor in 2000 and declared a national shrine in 2003 .

History of the mission

Ruin of the great stone church

From 1769 the Spanish Missions in California were founded on El Camino Real . The Mission San Juan Capistrano was established in 1776 by Spanish members of the Franciscan Order. It was here in 1779 that the “mission grape ”, originating from the Criolla grande , was planted, from which the first wine in Alta California was made in 1783. The Pater Serra Church, built in 1782, is considered the oldest used building in California. In 1797, the monumental construction of the large stone church on the east side of the Mission began and lasted nine years. It was built with a long nave, a choir, seven domes, a sacristy and a bell tower. However, shortly after its completion, the church collapsed due to a major earthquake in 1812 that killed over 40 people. Reconstruction was not undertaken, the ruins are accessible.

Under John O'Sullivan, a parish was established on the mission site from 1918 and the restoration of the old facilities began. Pastor Paul Martin started collecting donations for the construction of a new church in 1981, as the Serra Chapel was no longer sufficient for the growing population. The first mass in the new building on the north side of the mission was celebrated at Christmas 1984, but construction was not due to be completed for two years. The first mass in the new church was celebrated on October 23, 1986, and the building was officially consecrated on February 8, 1987 by Cardinal Timothy Manning .

Building

inner space

The church was designed in the style of the mission churches. The single-nave church was given a cruciform floor plan with a 26-meter-high crossing dome , to the right of the entrance the bell tower rises 32 meters high.

The interior was designed and partially executed by Norman Neuerberg. The dominant part of the church furnishings is the large reredos , a 13-meter-high, 9-meter-wide and 16-tonne altarpiece, which is carved in cedar wood and covered with gold leaf and is stylistically reminiscent of Spanish and Mexican colonial retables from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the center of the reredos is the Trinity, represented with a crucifix, God the Father as an old patriarch and the Holy Spirit as a dove. Below the Trinity is Our Lady of Guadalupe . The four saints on the reredos include Francis of Assisi as the patron saint of the founding order of the mission, Joseph, Junípero Serra as the founder of the mission and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha - important for the Indian population of the region. The retable was designed and created in Madrid .

Web links

Commons : San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Mission Basilica of San Juan Capistrano
  2. ^ Historic Chapel, Landmark, and Museum. In: www.missionsjc.com. Retrieved June 25, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Patrick Mott: New Church Complements Old Mission: San Juan Landmark Nearly Complete. In: Los Angeles Times. May 5, 1985, accessed June 25, 2020 .

Coordinates: 33 ° 30 ′ 15.8 "  N , 117 ° 39 ′ 49.1"  W.