SAN BUENAVENTURA
For thirteen years the heart of the venerable Serra was made sick by the
postponements in the founding of this Mission. The Viceroy de Croix had
ordered Governor Rivera "to recruit seventy-five soldiers for the
establishment of a presidio and three Missions in the channel of Santa
Barbara: one towards the north of the channel, which was to be dedicated
to the Immaculate Conception; one towards the south, dedicated to San
Buenaventura, and a third in the centre, dedicated to Santa Barbara."
It was with intense delight that Serra received a call from Governor
Neve, who, in February, 1782, informed him that he was prepared to
proceed at once to the founding of the Missions of San Buenaventura and
Santa Barbara. Although busy training his neophytes, he determined to go
in person and perform the necessary ceremonies. Looking about for a
padre to accompany him, and all his own coadjutors being engaged, he
bethought him of Father Pedro Benito Cambon, a returned invalid
missionary from the Philippine Islands, who was recuperating at San
Diego. He accordingly wrote Padre Cambon, requesting him, if possible,
to meet him at San Gabriel. On his way to San Gabriel, Serra passed
through the Indian villages of the channel region, and could not refrain
from joyfully communicating the news to the Indians that, very speedily,
he would return to them, and establish Missions in their midst.
In the evening of March 18, Serra reached Los Angeles, and next evening,
after walking to San Gabriel, weighed down with his many cares, and
weary with his long walk, he still preached an excellent sermon, it
being the feast of the patriarch St. Joseph. Father Cambon had arrived,
and after due consultation with him and the governor, the date for the
setting out of the expedition was fixed for Tuesday, March 26. The week
was spent in confirmation services and other religious work, and, on the
date named, after solemn mass, the party set forth. It was the most
imposing procession ever witnessed in California up to that time, and
called forth many gratified remarks from Serra. There were seventy
soldiers, with their captain, commander for the new presidio, ensign,
sergeant, and corporals. In full gubernatorial dignity followed Governor
Neve, with ten soldiers of the Monterey company, their wives and
families, servants and neophytes.
[Illustration: SIDE ENTRANCE AT SAN BUENAVENTURA.]
[Illustration: FACHADA OF MISSION SAN BUENAVENTURA.]
[Illustration: STATUE OF SAN BUENAVENTURA. Now at Dominican Convent,
Mission San José.]
[Illustration: RAWHIDE FASTENING OF MISSION BELL, AND WORM-EATEN BEAM.]
At midnight they halted, and a special messenger overtook them with news
which led the governor to return at once to San Gabriel with his ten
soldiers. He ordered the procession to proceed, however, found the San
Buenaventura Mission, and there await his arrival. Serra accordingly
went forward, and on the twenty-ninth arrived at "Assumpta." Here, the
next day, on the feast of Easter, they pitched their tents, "erected a
large cross, and prepared an altar under a shade of evergreens," where
the venerable Serra, now soon to close his life-work, blessed the cross
and the place, solemnized mass, preached a sermon to the soldiers on the
Resurrection of Christ, and formally dedicated the Mission to God, and
placed it under the patronage of St. Joseph.
In the earlier part of the last century the Mission began to grow
rapidly. Padres Francisco Dumetz and Vicente de Santa Maria, who had
been placed in charge of the Mission from the first, were gladdened by
many accessions, and the Mission flocks and herds also increased
rapidly. Indeed, we are told that "in 1802 San Buenaventura possessed
finer herds of cattle and richer fields of grain than any of her
contemporaries, and her gardens and orchards were visions of wealth
and beauty."
On his second visit to the California coast, Vancouver, when anchored
off Santa Barbara, traded with Padre Santa Maria of San Buenaventura for
a flock of sheep and as many vegetables as twenty mules could carry.
It is to Vancouver, on this voyage, that we owe the names of a number of
points on the California coast, as, for instance, Points Sal, Argüello
Felipe, Vicente, Dumetz, Fermin, and Lasuen.
In 1795 there was a fight between the neophyte and gentile Indians, the
former killing two chiefs and taking captive several of the latter. The
leaders on both sides were punished, the neophyte Domingo even being
sentenced to work in chains.
In 1806 the venerable Santa María, one of the Mission founders, died.
His remains were ultimately placed in the new church.
In 1800 the largest population in its history was reached, with 1297
souls. Cattle and horses prospered, and the crops were reported as among
the best in California.
The earthquake of 1812-1813 did considerable damage at San Buenaventura.
Afraid lest the sea would swallow them up, the people fled to San
Joaquin y Santa Ana for three months, where a temporary _jacal_ church
was erected. The tower and a part of the _fachada_ had to be torn down
and rebuilt, and this was done by 1818, with a new chapel dedicated to
San Miguel in addition.
That San Buenaventura was prosperous is shown by the fact that in June,
1820, the government owed it $27,385 for supplies, $6200 in stipends,
and $1585 for a cargo of hemp,--a total of $35,170, which, says
Bancroft, "there was not the slightest chance of it ever receiving."
In 1823 the president and vice-prefect Señan, who had served as padre
at this Mission for twenty-five years, died August 24, and was buried by
the side of Santa María. After his death San Buenaventura began rapidly
to decline.
In 1822 a neophyte killed his wife for adultery. It is interesting to
note that in presenting his case the fiscal said that as the culprit had
been a Christian only seven years, and was yet ignorant in matters of
domestic discipline, he asked for the penalty of five years in the chain
gang and then banishment.
The baptisms for the whole period of the Mission's history, viz., for
1782-1834, are 3876. There is still preserved at the Mission the first
register, which was closed in 1809. At that time 2648 baptisms had been
administered. The padre presidente, Serra, wrote the heading for the
Index, and the contents themselves were written in a beautiful hand by
Padre Señan. There are four signatures which occur throughout in the
following order: Pedro Benito Cambon, Francisco Dumetz, Vicente de Sta
María, and José Señan.
The largest population was 1330 in 1816. The largest number of cattle
was 23,400 in the same year. In 1814, 4652 horses; in 1816,
13,144 sheep.
Micheltorena's decree in 1843 restored the temporalities of the Mission
to the padres. This was one of the two Missions, Santa Inés being the
other, that was able to provide a moderate subsistence out of the wreck
left by secularization. On the 5th of December, 1845, Pico rented San
Buenaventura to José Arnaz and Marcisco Botello for $1630 a year. There
are no statistics of the value of the property after 1842, though in
April of 1843 Padre Jimeno reports 2382 cattle, 529 horses, 2299 sheep,
220 mules and 18 asses, 1032 fruit trees and 11,907 vines. In November
of that same year the bishop appointed Presbyter, Resales, since which
time the Mission has been the regular parish church of the city.
In 1893 the Mission church was renovated out of all its historic
association and value by Father Rubio, who had a good-natured but
fearfully destructive zeal for the "restoration" of the old Missions.
Almost everything has been modernized. The fine old pulpit, one of the
richest treasures of the Mission, was there several years ago; but when,
in 1904, I inquired of the then pastor where it was, I was curtly
informed that he neither knew nor cared. All the outbuildings have been
demolished and removed in order to make way for the modern spirit of
commercialism which in the last decade has struck the town. It is now an
ordinary church, with little but its history to redeem it from the look
of smug modernity which is the curse of the present age.
Before leaving San Buenaventura it may be interesting to note that a few
years ago I was asked about two "wooden bells" which were said to have
been hung in the tower at this Mission. I deemed the question absurd,
but on one of my visits found one of these bells in a storeroom under
the altar, and another still hanging in the belfry. By whom, or why,
these dummy bells were made, I have not been able to discover.