Mission San Buenaventura

Mission San Buenaventura was founded on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782 in Las Californias, part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain. Named for a Franciscan theologian, Saint Bonaventure, it was the last of the missions founded by Father Serra. Mission San Buenaventura was planned to be founded in the year 1770, but the founding was delayed because of the low availability of the military escorts needed to establish Mission San Buenaventura. In 1793, the first church burned down. Today, only a small section of the entire mission still stands; the Cemetery to the left of the church is covered by a school. It took the neophytes 16 years to build the new church, which still stands today.^[2]

Visitor Info

Location:
211 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001

Phone:
805-643-4318

Mission Fun Facts [1]
Name as Founded	La Misión San Buenaventura
English Translation	The Mission of Saint Bonaventure
Founding Date	March 31, 1782
Founding Order	Ninth

History Timeline^[1]

1782 - Father Junipero Serra founds the 9th mission (and his last) on March 31 in honor of Saint Bonaventure
1812 - The first church is damaged by the earthquake of 1812.
1816 - The church is rebuilt.
1836 - The mission is secularized.
1845 - Governor Pico rents the Church.
1846 - The Governor of Alta California sells the mission.
1862 - The mission is returned to the Catholic Church.

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Missions of Alta California