Item 8 - The California Mission Story

24 pp; printed

A copy of ‘The California Mission Story’, a booklet providing an historical and visual overview focusing of the various Spanish missions established in California during the colonial period. The text refers to the foundation of Santa Inés in September 1804 by Father Estévan Tapis, noting its location in a beautiful valley devoted to agriculture. It details the 1844 establishment of California’s first seminary, the College of Our Lady of Refuge, which later expanded into the College of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The historical narrative explains that the mission faced heavy political exploitation after being restored to the padres by Governor Micheltorena, eventually becoming prey to politicians in 1846 when the friar was driven out. It concludes by highlighting that restoration work began in 1904 under Father Alexander Buckler and notes that upon his retirement, the mission was entrusted to the Capuchin Franciscan Fathers, who continue to care for its historic bells, murals, and grounds.