Mission Travelogue: Mission San Juan Bautista

I was out for a drive on a sunny weekend morning with a break between these ferocious storms California has been seeing when I decided to take a hopefully slight detour to visit Mission San Juan Batista.

My original destination was the amazing Monarch Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, California and, of course, the Pacific Ocean.  Can't be that close to the ocean and not spend some time there!

Anyhoo, as I was driving down Highway 101 I saw the sign for the mission pointing down Highway 156 East, so I decided to take it.  It has been awhile since I had a mission trip!

To see my other Mission adventure travelogues, click on the links below:

San Jose Mission (Plus San Jose Sharks hockey & cemeteries!)

San Gabriel Mission in SoCal (and Sights of SoCal!)

Mission San Rafael Arcangel (And toilets on highways!)

The AMAZING Santa Barbara Mission

It's SO AMAZING it needs two posts! Santa Barbara Mission and Rose Garden

And now, to the current mission travelogue, the equally amazing and possibly even more historic than any of the others:  Mission San Juan Bautista!

In the next three photos, you will see a pretty unique statue.  In researching, I found that many sites report this statue as being of a Native American, which is reasonable because it is mostly naked and also because this mission once housed a large population of Native Americans of the Ohlone and Yokuts tribes. 

There are some sites which report this as being a statue of John the Baptist, for whom the mission and town surrounding it were named - En español, Juan el Bautista.

Although I haven't found any definitive statements on the statue, I think the bible verses that are engraved into the base of the statue do indicate that it is John the Baptist as three of the four refer directly to him. 

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. 

This next photo is really cool.  

I was standing on the actual El Camino Real AND the San Andreas Fault when I took it!  

Turns out, the old "King's Highway" is still in it's natural form right beside the mission.  The mission actually sits on a low plateau, created by the San Andreas Fault, and the road is still used (mostly by joggers and walkers).  I walked a short way along it, but I want to go back and walk further.   

The next photo shows the obligatory statue of Father Junipero Serra along with the outside entrance and sign to the cemetery.  This gate is now locked and the only way to view the cemetery is to go through the church.

The ghost of Father Junipero Serra was watching me...

This is the view of the cemetery from the front gate.  I assume by the chain that this gate is opened sometimes.

I asked if it was okay to go inside and someone said "Sure!" so I did.  But, as I was walking around looking at the alters, suddenly a priest stood up and began speaking. He then called a couple to the front and began a wedding service!  

Yes, I am a wedding crasher!  But I didn't crash the reception.  Haha!

As I previously mentioned, the only way into the cemetery when I visited was through a door inside the church.  But it, too, was chained so that you could only walk out about 5 feet.  The cemetery looks out over the Camino Real and the San Benito River flood plain.

There are at least 30 ancient olive trees shading the cemetery. 

Among the 4,000 Native Americans buried here is Ascension Solorsano, the last full-blood Mutsun Indian.  She was a historian and worked to preserve the language and stories of her people.  This is a really fascinating story of an opera made about her.

The entire church is very brightly colored in keeping with the Native communities who lived and worked there.

Like most missions, there is beauty outside as well.  Mission San Juan Bautista has a very large, beautiful garden filled with cacti and statuary.

This bust is of the founding Friar Fermin Lasuen.

San Juan Bautista has a history of feral chickens. I found this one in the mission garden. 

The museum was very comprehensive and had a lot of old artifacts, many used at the mission in the 1800s.  These are some vestments from around the world that were used there are one time. 

The mission became known as the "Mission of Music" after Padre Esteban Tapis, who was the president of the Spanish missions in California, retired to San Juan Bautista.

The Spaniards and Native Americans shared a love of music and Father Esteban formed a boys choir that was renowned.  Some of his original music books are in the museum.

Such a beautiful and fascinating mission!  I really need to go back to see some of the things I missed.  

The mission has an original Spanish-era plaza, surrounded by more original 1800s buildings, some of which now comprise the San Juan Bautista Plaza Historic District.  

I snapped some quick photos of the buildings...

...but will definitely include time in my future visit for some serious exploration.  

Maybe I'll see you there!

xoxo

Nikon D3300