Mission San Buenaventura

Mission San Buenaventura was founded on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782 by Father Junípero Serra, the ninth in the California mission chain. It was named for Saint Bonaventure, and was the last of the missions founded by Father Serra. The Mission is located in Ventura, California.

In 1793 the first church burned down. It took the Indians 16 years to build the new church, which still stands today. In 1893, Father Cyprian Rubio "modernized" the interior of the church, painting over the original artwork. When he finished almost nothing remained of the old church. New priests restored the church to its original style in 1957.

Today all that is left of the Mission is the church and its garden. Services are still held in the parish church. A small museum sits at the Mission with displays of Chumash (Native American tribe) artifacts and mission-period items.

Historic designations

• National Register of Historic Places #NPS-75000496
• National Register of Historic Places #NPS-75000497 - Mission San Buenaventura Aqueduct
• California Historic Landmark #113 - Site of "Junípero Serra's Cross"
• California Historic Landmark #114 - Old Mission Reservoir
• California Historic Landmark #114-1 - Mission San Buenaventura Aqueduct
• California Historic Landmark #310

See also

• California mission

External links

• Official mission website
• Elevation & Site Layout sketches of the Mission proper