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Mission San Juan Bautista


Mission San Juan Bautista




Dedication and Commemoration Plaque

At the south-east corner of the wall enclosing the mission, the corner pillar contains the four plaques shown below.


historical plaques



mission plaques
MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
FOUNDED JUNE 24, 1797
BY
FR. FERMIN FRANCISCO DE LAUSEN

PLACED BY
CALIFORNIA STATE SOCIETY
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
NOVEMBER 23, 1969
 

 
CALIFORNIA STATE SOCIETY
AND GABILAN CHAPTER

DAUGHTERS OF THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTION

COMMEMORATE THE BICENTENNIAL
OF THE FOUNDING OF
MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
24 JUNE 1797

MRS. WILLIAM B. McNEW, STATE REGENT
1997



mission plaques
EL CAMINO REAL BELL
PLACED HERE JUNE 24, 1910
BY
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
PARLOR NO. 179
NATIVE DAUGHTERS OF
THE GOLDEN WEST.
REDEDICATED - 1974
PLACED BY
CALIFORNIA STATE SOCIETY
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
NOVEMBER 23, 1969
 

 
EL CAMINO REAL
BELL

PLACED HERE
JUNE 24, 1910, BY
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
PARLOR NO. 179
NATIVE DAUGHTERS
OF THE GOLDEN WEST


REDEDICATED 1974

RESTORED 1997

BY

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA SERVICE CLUB
CELEBRATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA



Interior of the Church

Mission San Juan Bautista was founded June 24, 1797 by Father Lausen. It is the 15th of the 21 missions, largest and only church with 3 aisles. Dedicated in 1812. The monastery wing consisted of 36 rooms. The mission has never been abandoned, and is now the parish church of San Juan Bautista.

Interior of the church
Interior of the church
Interior of the church


main alter statues
The main alter in the church contains six statues described below:

Top left: St. Anthony of Padua - San Antonio de Padua
Top center: St. Dominic - Santo Domingo
Top right: St. Francis of Assisi - San Francisco de Asis

Bottom left: St. Isadore - San Isidro
Bottom left: St. John the Baptist and the Lamb of God - San Juan Bautista y El Cordero de Dios
Bottom left: St. Pascal Baylon - San Pascual de Baylon


Alter statues



small alter
small alter

There are four smaller alters in the church located in each of the four corners.


small alter
small alter

Interior of church
Interior of church



Mission Museum Displays


VESTMENTS consist of that eclessiastical clothing worn by the priesthood. The style is ancient and is derived from the Romans as the distinctive priestly clothing of the Mass. Strickly defined, vestments are but "one of the articles of the ceremonial attire and insignia worn by eclessiastical officiants and assistants as indicative of their rank and appropriate to the rite being celebrated." Vestments typically include the following articles of clothing:

Alb -- A full-length white linen vestment with close sleeves and often a cincture (or belt) worn at the Eucharist. This garment is generally worn under the more decorative garments identified with the Chasuble or Cope.

Burse -- A square cloth case used to carry the corporal in a Communion service.

Chalice Veil -- A rectangular section of cloth used to veil or cover the Communion chalice before and after Mass.

Chasuble -- Worn at eucharistic services, chasuble literally means "little house." This is the colorful outer garment worn exclusively for Mass. Its style and color vary with either the season or the religious occasion.

Cope -- A long, open, cape-like vestment worn for administering blessings. The rectangular cloth affixed to the back is a "chest bib" or hood.

Dalmatic -- A loose unbelted outer garment or vestment with full sleeves and often with slits up the sides. Originally worn by a deacon but also by some prelates as bishops.

Muniple -- A long narrow band of cloth worn at mass over the left arm by ministers of or above the order of subdeacon.

Stole -- A long narrow cloth worn over the chasuble and across the shoulders so that the ends hang down at the front of the garment. The stole is used primarily for administarting the sacrament.

Vestments display
Vestments display
Vestments display

VESTMENT COLORS serve to symbolize the season or religious occasion or ceremony during which such colors are worn. The specific color of the chasuble or cope worn by the priest serves to signal to parishioners the season or the purpose of a specific celebration or Mass.

Black -- Originally worn for Funerals; the color Black has rarely been used since the pronouncements of Vatican II in the 1960's. Black vestments often included ornate decorations embroidered in silver.

Gold -- Worn for Feast Days and special Celebrations. Celebrations during which this color is worn include Christmas and Easter; as well as weddings and funerals.

Green -- Worn during "Ordinary Time." This color is generally worn for all those Masses that occur outside the context of specific seasonal observances or special occasions.

Pink or Rose-- Worn for Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday in Advent and Laetare Sunday in Lent. The symbolism is that representing joy.

Red -- Worn to indicate the feast day of Martyrs, or saints, who died in the name of the holy faith. Also worn on the feast day of Apostles, or on those days specific to the original followers of Christ. Red also serves to represent the Holy Spirit.

Violet -- Originally used as a Penitential color. Violet is worn during the religious seasons or observances of Lent and Advent. Lent is the season before Easter, whereas Advent is the season before Christmas.

White -- Worn for Feast Days and special Celebrations. Celebrations during which this color is worn include Christmas and Easter; as well as weddings and funerals.



Mission Furnishings Displays


Furnishings display
Furnishings display
Furnishings display



Exterior Views of the Mission


The interior courtyard of the Mission contains a small, but lush garden.

Interior garden area
Interior garden area
Interior garden area

Interior garden area
Interior garden area
Interior garden area



The front of the Mission


Front of the Mission
Front of the Mission
Front of the Mission



El Camino Real


El Camino Real

EL CAMINO REAL
(The Kings Highway)

The above marker shows the direction of the road that
connected the 21 Missions. Expeditions left here to go
north to Mission Santa Clara or go south to the head-
quarters at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.

This road was used from 1797 to about 1850.


Erected by Boy Scout Troop 233 - Salinas, California, March 3, 1968
as qualification for the Historical Trails Award.

El Camino Real marker



Indian Statue
In front of the entrance to the church, stands a statue of an Indian with his arms streched out toward heaven. Each of the four sides on the base of the statue contain a Bible verse. The text of the verses are shown below:

Indian statue
Bible verse on Indian statue

Luke 1:78-79
Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which Sunrise from on high will visit us,
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.

Matthew 3:1-3
Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!"

John 1:6-9
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

Mark 1:4-5
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.



Mission San Juan Bautista




Mission San Juan Bautista is located in the city of San Juan Bautista at Second & Mariposa Streets. See map.




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