Founded in 1816, Mission San Antonio de Pala is one of the 5 asistencia missions (sub-missions) of the 21 missions that comprise the California mission system founded in Alta California during the Spanish colonization of California. Founded by Father Antonio Peyri as the asistencia of the much larger Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (located in Oceanside, California), Mission San Antonio de Pala is situated on the Pala Indian Reservation in northern San Diego County.
One bright, beautiful, blue-sky day in San Diego, Charlie and I ventured out to Pala to honor his father. Charlie’s father died when he was 7-years-old in a farming accident and Charlie’s well-to-do aunt donated money to the Mission and had this fountain erected at Mission San Antonio de Pala in his honor:
The day we visited Mission San Antonio de Pala, the fountain was empty and not running (under repair). While disappointed that (1) the fountain wasn’t working and (2) Charlie could no longer get back into the gardens (it is not handicapped accessible; when we last visited many years ago, Charlie was still walking), I enjoyed walking around the peaceful gardens and paying homage to both our fathers.
We were the only visitors at the time, so the quiet of this peaceful sanctuary was in direct juxtaposition to the happenings going on down the street: Mission San Antonia de Pala is located just down the street from Pala Casino and Resort! So, in spite of the neon lights and traffic down the road, the Mission itself has plenty of parking and an undisturbed quality that can only be attributed to 199 years of quiet servitude to its parishioners.
The front of Mission San Antonio de Pala is so long, that I couldn’t take one photo of it! So, imagine this photo at the far left of the entrance and the one below as part of the panorama:
And, it keeps going…
A barred window…
Native American frescos painted above windows…
A decorative chimney…
A lopsided weathervane…
More frescos…
And, the beautiful painted ceiling of the portico.
The Bell Tower at Mission San Antonio de Pala is actually a replica. The original was destroyed by a severe rainstorm in 1916. Known as a “campanile”, the Bell Tower at Mission San Antonio de Pala is unusual in that it is detached, free-standing, from the actual mission. It is the only one like it in the California Mission System.
At top of the Bell Tower is a prickly-pear cactus. At first I thought it was a gift from the garden fairies (birds) and had rooted there by accident. But, no, legend states that the cactus was planted at the top of the Bell Tower at the foot of the cross by Father Peyri in 1816 to symbolize that Christ would conquer the desert (i.e., the Californian desert and the desert of the human heart and soul).
Damaged by an earthquake in 1899, Mission San Antonio de Pala was repaired by the local Indians with help from the Landmarks Club of Southern California, who purchased the property in 1902 and returned it to the Catholic Church in 1903.
Walking into the chapel…
Next year (2016) marks not only the 200th anniversary of the founding of Mission San Antonio de Pala, but also 200 years of continuous service to the Pala community and the ancestors of the Indian people for which it was founded.
As one walks down the center aisle, a carved wooden statue of Jesus on the cross soars overhead.
There are many altar statues, such as this one of an Indian woman…
and this one of a priest…
this one of Mary and baby Jesus…
and another priest holding baby Jesus.
And, of course, Jesus in the center front at the altar.
Outside, art work and murals line outdoor corridors…
adorning unexpected places.
The garden is accessed through the gift shop, with a step up and a step down and no handicap access for people on mobility scooters. However, wheelchairs could access the garden.
A chubby friar statue greets garden visitors…
An old California pepper tree with a wagon wheel resting on its trunk…
Beautiful hibiscus bushes in bloom…
Happy squirrels munching on tidbits…
Cages filled with doves cooing…
One portico features large mission bells hanging from an equally large timber support.
The garden is a beautiful sanctuary with many various peaceful areas for quiet contemplation, such as this tiled mural of Jesus on the cross…
and this altar (with a water feature below) of Mary…
and this carved stone edifice with a tiled border, also of Mary.
Another wagon wheel rests against a massive tree trunk…
And a built-in bench to sit a spell.
A close-up of the wagon wheel resting against the California pepper tree.
Back outside near the front entrance, a statue of Mary stands near the Bell Tower…
And this statue of a friar holding a child stands watch in the parking area.
This is a large sign, a map, in the parking lot, giving distances to others parts of Southern California from Pala.
Mission San Antonia de Pala is a hidden treasure in the backcountry of San Diego County!
Tootles,
Related Posts:
(other adventures around San Diego County)
- 42 Things to do in San Diego
- 42 Things to do at the San Diego Zoo
- 42 San Diego Restaurants to Savor
- 42 San Diego Museums, 28 Days, Half Off
- Running A-Fowl with Coots
- Lake Poway Recreation Center
- Presidio Park: A Monument to San Diego’s Historic Presidio
- San Diego Restaurants: Our Favorite Places to Eat
- Nuts at the Nut Farm
- The Magic of Fairy Days
- By the Sea at Oceanside Harbor
Absolutely beautiful. Hopefully Mike and I will see it some day.
Thanks, Anna. I hope to see more of these treasures.
What beautiful pictures! Whenever we are near a mission we always stop to see them. I have an unwritten goal to see them all! So sorry Charlie didn’t have access. That’s a bummer…
Thanks, Heather! That’s kinda my “unwritten goal”, too – to see them all. Need to work on an actual “bucket list”!