Mission San Fernando Rey de España — Attraction in Los Angeles

Mission San Fernando Rey was founded on September 8th in 1797, the 8th mission founded by Father-President Lasuen after the death of Father Serra. Three other missions that Lasuen founded in 1797 were Mission San Jose (June 11th), Mission San Juan Bautista (June 24th), and Mission San Miguel (July 25th). Father Lasuen founded his last mission in 1798 at Mission San Luis Rey.

Founded as 'La Mision del Senor Fernando, Rey de Espana,' it was the 17th mission along the Camino Real. During the Spanish Portola Expedition in 1769, Padre Cresti named the valley 'Santa Catalina de Bononia de los Encinos' as he documented their travels. Mission San Fernando Rey was built here (now the San Fernando Valley) on property that was owned by Mission San Gabriel.

The Mission's first church was completed in 1799. Due to population growth, it was replaced by a 2nd church in 1800. The first adobe/tiled roof church (3rd church) was completed in 1806 as was the Mission's quadrangle.

In 1810, the construction of the 'Convento' (long building) began. When it was completed in 1820, it would become the largest adobe structure in California.

In December 1812, two earthquakes shook Mission San Fernando. On Dec. 8th (the Wrightwood Quake), many of the mission's buildings were seriously weakened or collapsed. A subsequent quake on December 21st caused the church to be severely damaged. Only the Convento was left standing. New beams and buttresses were added to stabilize and rebuild the Mission's church.

In 1813, the long 20 arch walkway was completed in front of the Convento. Between 1819 and 1820, the second story was added.

Secularization occurred in 1834 and Mexico took possession of Alta California with its Spanish missions. In 1845, the Mexican governor Pio Pico leased Mission San Fernando to his brother. During the Mexican-American War, Fremont (US Army) temporarily occupied the mission in 1847.

In 1862, President Lincoln returned Mission San Fernando to the Catholic Church. But much of the mission was stripped away by settlers and it fell into decay. It wasn't until 1916 that a local group (Landmarks Club) started restoration of the ruins. The Catholic Church started restoration in 1923. By 1941, the Catholic Church was able to re-dedicate the restored church.

In 1971, the destructive Sylmar Earthquake broke the main beam of the church. It was torn down and the Mission's 4th church on site was built. It was dedicated in 1974. The Northridge Quake in 1994 damaged many of the Mission buildings including the Convento. Restoration occurred in 1997-1998.

Mission San Fernando Rey, along with many of the other CA Missions, has been impacted by one disastrous earthquake after another. Today, it is an active parish in addition to being a historical museum. Peacocks (evidently historically correct) roam the grounds containing beautiful gardens and fountains. With the 2-story adobe Convento with its long line of exterior arches, the Mission is as impressive as it is beautiful. Hope lies...

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I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts on the pricing for funeral memorial services at our local church. There's no denying that this church is beautiful and well-maintained, and I appreciate the effort that goes into keeping it that way. However, I have some concerns about the costs associated with holding a service there.

To have a funeral service, families are required to pay $600 which is understandable, the issue is the additional $400 "donation" for the priest to conduct the ceremony. In total, this amounts to $1,000 just to say goodbye to a loved one. I find it difficult to reconcile this with the church's mission to serve the community.

The expectation of a $400 donation feels more like a payment than a goodwill gesture. Shouldn't a place of worship prioritize compassion and community support, especially during such a difficult time? It’s hard to see this as anything other than a business transaction rather than an act of service to those in need.

Imagine being in a situation where you’re already facing the grief of losing a loved one, and on top of that, you're presented with a hefty bill. As a veteran who has served overseas, I understand the burdens that many families carry. It’s disheartening to think that instead of receiving support and compassion, families are met with financial demands.

I know sharing this opinion may invite criticism, but I believe it's important to voice concerns about accessibility and compassion in our community's places of worship. I hope that the church can reconsider its approach to pricing for such significant services, and find ways to support families in their...

For the sake of clarity, I am reviewing this only as an historical site and place to visit, not from the point of view of parishioner.

We have been to most of the California missions and this is definitely one of the most impressive and interesting due to its size and importance and the fact that there is still such an extensive complex remaining. I was actually unaware of just how large and important this mission was until visiting it. In addition to the church, it has several buildings in various mixture of restored and original, with a large colonnaded wing facing the road that has many rooms. Among these is the "Governor's Room," where officials and dignitaries would stay. It has many artifacts and pleasant, peaceful gardens. Two additional sites are unusual for the missions. One is the "Madonna Room," housing a large collection of many different St. Mary items which some people may find awesome and others unsettling but which is certainly interesting to see. The other is the grave of Bob Hope and his wife Dolores, something of which I was completely unaware. Obviously for some this will be irrelevant but it is definitely a site to visit for those who are interested in movie stars and the like.They have tours and a large gift shop. They have a garden section dedicated to Bob Hope but it does...