The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-09-28
.sERRA's CROSS RESTORED
Historic Spot in Franciscan Mission
Marked by Cross-Religious and
Civic cefebration-story Of Father
Serra's Cross.

A huge cross thirty feet in height
and visible for hundred miles along
the southern cost of California now
stands on the spot where the re-
nowned missionary, Father Junipero
Sierra, in the year seventeen hundred
and eighty-two, raised the cross of his
last California mission, San Buena
Ventura. September ninth last was
the day on which this memorable
restoration was made. Nearly all of
the people of San Buena Ventura, to-
gether with the thousands who
thronged into the historic old town,
took part in the ceremonies of the
occasion. Besides the establishment
of the mission by the sanity Fran
ciscan, two anniversaries were COM
memorated in the events of the day
the dedication of the old Mission
Church, September ninth, eighteen
hundred and nine, and the admission
of California to the sisterhood of
states, September ninth, eighteen hun
dred and fifty. Civic pride, therefore,
was mingled with the religious vener
alton of those who participated; and
men of various creeds gladly joined
with the Catholics of southern Cali
fornia in a celebration so notable
The remarkable procession with
which the ceremonies of the day be-
gan, after leaving the old Mission
hurch, proceeded to the historic spot
the summit of the hill mile away
e the massive cross was elevated
anu firmly planted a thousand feet
above the surf of the Pacific ocean.
1t was then solemnly blessed. The
romantic tie between past and pres
ent was emphasized in this ceremony
by the fact that Father Capistrano
Dance, o. F. M, who blessed the new
cross, not only wore the brown habit
| of ST. Francis, but read the rituaistic
prayers from the very volume which
Father Sierra used in the blessing of
the first cross a hundred and thirty
years ago.
The chief interest centered about
the history of that first cross of which
the present one is restoration. This
account was given by Hon. John G.
Mott, of Los Angeles, who, as repre-
sentative of Bishop Conaty, delivered
the principal address of the occasion
Father Sierra, accompanied by an
other priest, governor and COM
pany of soldiers, had reached this
headland on which they now stood on
Good Friday, 1882. On the following
day the cross was erected and on
Easter Sunday, March 81, it was
solemnly blessed by the devoted Fran
ciscan. 1t remained venerated land
mark for nearly hundred years. In
1877 during violent storm it fell
and in time the decayed timbers dis
appeared. The citizens of the sur
rounding country were slow to realize
the extent of their loss in the disap-
pearance of this relic and a genera
tion passed before renewed interest
in the civilizing work of the great
Sierra inspired the idea of this restora-
ton.
After the cross was blessed it was
presented to the city of San Buena
Ventura and the mayor, in accepting
the gift on behalf of the citizens, ex-
pressed their appreciative thanks to
the givers and to those responsible
for the restoration. When the new
cross is lighted by electricity, as has
been proposed, it will be visible at
night for more than a hundred miles
along the Pacific coast.
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