NEWLY DECLARED SAINT JOHN PAUL II VISITED THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

 Karol Jozef Wojyla, known to the world of Pope John Paul II was canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church on April 27th, 2014.  He served longer than any other pope save Adrian VI who died in 1523. During his long reign, John Paul II traveled more than any Catholic leader in history, including visits to Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. 

 Saint John Paul II greets Valley businessman Burt Boeckmann

During his visit to California, the pope met many of our area's leaders, including Bert Boeckmann owner of the Galpin motor complex in Sepulveda. John Paul II used the Mission San Fernando Rey as a place of retreat while in the city.

THE MISSION SAN FERNANDO FALLS INTO RUIN.

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY           2013

     Many Americans are unaware that before our Revolution, the Church of England (the Anglican Church) was the official or established religion of our colonies. Priests of the English church were paid by the crown, and not surprisingly for the most part they resisted our independence. Americans were required to support England's church and its properties through taxation. It is not surprising that our nation's political founders wrote into the Constitution that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion".

     The Spanish empire also had its established religion, the Roman Catholic Church. The king and queen of Spain called themselves their "most Catholic majesties."  Spanish missions, like those in Alta California, were as much factories to produce obedient Spanish subjects as to save their souls. The missions San Fernando Rey de España (Saint Ferdinand King of Spain) and San Gabriel were part of that system.

     At the time when the heroic people of Mexico overthrew their Spanish masters, one in every four acres of land in Mexico were the property of the Catholic Church.  (Some historians claim that half of the land of Mexico was owned by Spain's established church.) In 1833, the new Republic of Mexico secularized the California missions, removing them from the authority of Spanish bishop and  religious orders under the control of Spain and made them into community parish churches. Church lands were turned over to ranchers and others loyal to the new Mexican Republic. For the Indians who provided free labor for the missions, working for the rancheros was little more than an a transfer of owners.

No longer under the control of the Catholic Church, the Mission San Fernando fell into disrepair and ruin. Historic postcard of the Mission San Fernando from Gary Fredburg 2013.  (click on the image to enlarge it.)

EARLY RESTORATION OF THE MISSION SAN FERNANDO REY de ESPANA

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                                2013

     Fortunately for us, the monks of the Mission San Fernando Rey de España were pretty good record keepers. Detailed records were not only important to the Catholic church but also the imperial Spanish government. During the era of Spanish / Mexican colonialism, there just weren't that many buildings in Alta California. So, descriptions made by early American interlopers were often quite detailed.        

     Records of about the Mission San Fernando would prove very important when it came time to restore this priceless old complex badly damaged by neglect, weather, vandalism and earthquakes. By the time these great old photographs were taken, some restoration of the Mission's arches and main buildings had already begun (bright whitewashed parts of the photos.)

     With Mission irrigation ditches long neglected only a few of the most drought tolerant trees remained at the onset of the 20th century. Looking at the Mission today from Brand Park, it is hard to imagination the desolation shown in these old time images. 

 The reason the Franciscan priests selected the site of the Mission San Fernando is still evident in this turn of the 20th century photograph, where a district strip of foliage is seen, surrounding the Mission.

 (Click on these images to enlarge them.)

 The Mission's facade is recently restored in this picture.

 Olives and palms were important survivors of the Mission era.

 The straight furrows of the Mission campo reveal the area's use for agriculture.

 In 1890 the chapel roof of the Mission collapsed. I suppose this was a time when it wasn't really dangerous to enter a red tagged building - or were there red tags back then?

 From a wagon trail to a parade of new-fangled automobiles.

Before the interior structure of the old Mission were restored. 

In the center of the picture is the Mission chapel visited by Pope John Paul II of the Roman Catholic Church when he came to Los Angeles.