Learn about the history of historical San Juan Capistrano.
Mission San Juan Capistrano has long been called "The Jewel of the Missions." This book captures the history of the mission from its founding in 1776 by Father (now Saint) Junipero Serra to the present day. Between the pages, you will learn about many features of the mission and discover why it continues to be a local treasure and a favorite of tourists. Lorna Collins is a local author who has co-written a novel about Mission San Juan Capistrano called "The Memory Keeper." She and her husband, Larry K. Collins, are currently working on the sequel to the novel to be titled, "Becoming the Jewel." Robert L. Schwenck is an award-winning local artist, who has been painting the mission and the town of San Juan Capistrano for many years. His love of the city and its historic buildings is evident in his work.
Excerpt
In the Beginning
During the mid-eighteenth century, Spain was a major world power. The government dispatched Jesuits to Baja California to found missions in order to convert the natives to the Roman Catholic religion. They were also put in charge of the soldiers who lived at the forts and presidios.
By June 1767, the Spanish government felt the Jesuits had become too powerful, so King Carlos transferred the existing Baja missions into the control of the Franciscans. The order was given authority over the day-to-day activities of the missions, but not the soldiers.
The Spanish government then decided to expand their influence into Alta California (now Southern California). Franciscan Father Junipero Serra (now St. Junipero Serra) was appointed to found the first mission in Alta California.
Professional Reviews
Jewel of a Book
Beautiful art accompanied by the history of the Mission. I loved it and I will go back and look at the lovely paintings often.
Wonderful book!
I loved this book! The history is written in a fun way, and the paintings and illustrations are stunning!
This is the story of the author’s great great grandparents, Edward Lewis and Sarah Crosby, who were convicts transported to Van Diemen’s Land in the 1840s. It is told from the perspective of a detective agency searching for what happened to Edward, w
