Start of the Tour

Navigation for San Diego de Alcalá:

• Mission Home
• History
• Map
• Asistencia
• First Mission
• Start Tour
• Church
• Garden
• Pieta Garden
• Museum
• Quadrangle

The tour of this Mission starts outside the quadrangle. As you approach the entrance to the Mission gift shop look down the drive. You should see a cross in a circular area. This cross is in honor of Padre Luis Jayme who was the first martyr in California, having been killed trying to calm attacking Indians in 1775. The cross is on the spot where Padre Jayme was martyred; Padre Jayme is buried near the altar in the Church.

Picture taken 11:50am 23 Jul 2002

Picture taken 12:20pm 23 Jul 2002

Proceed down the front of the Mission. Along the front Mission wall are nine statues. These represent the saints the nine missions Blessed Serra established are dedicated to (they are behind grillwork that makes good pictures almost impossible).

At the other end of the Mission, in front of the Church, there is a small garden and a statue of Blessed Serra. Finally, between the Church and entrance to the gift shop are all the various plaques honoring the Mission and Blessed Serra. Take some time to study them for their historical value.

Picture taken 12:20pm 23 Jul 2002

Now enter the Mission through the gift shop. If you wish, they have a taped guided tour of the Mission you can rent. The tape is well done and this tour will largely follow the same path that the tape would take you on (with a detour or two).

Picture taken 11:05am 23 Jul 2002

From the gift shop you enter the quadrangle. Turn left and the door on your left is the entrance to the first rectory of California--the quarters where the padres, and likely Blessed Serra, lived (#1 above). The fireplace was added in the late 1800s.

At this point the taped tour would have you enter the Church. For this tour, however, we're going to proceed down the wall of the Church, past the door and visit the statue of Saint Didacus (#6 above). St. Didacus is the patron saint of San Diego by virtue of the visit of Sebastian Vizcaíno in November of 1602. He named the area after St. Didacus (San Diego) whose feast day is 13 November.

Picture taken 12:05pm 23 Jul 2002

Now, backtrack down the side of the Church to the entrance and...

Proceed into the Church