topic Re: San Gabriel Mission in Community Chat

San Gabriel Mission

Oostende — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:06:26 GMT

Did anyone else see that this old Catholic mission burned?

I don't have any details about the origin of the fire, which is still under investigation.

I just know the mission predates the United States. It's 249 years old.

For those of us who love architecture and history, it is a tragic loss.

I hope it can be restored.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

cactusgal — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:21:09 GMT

That is just sad, the last time I was there. Was for my aunts funeral in 2006.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

MorningLover — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:26:50 GMT

This is beyond sad. I read the church had been preparing to reopen next weekend following a four month closure to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

Oostende — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:39:40 GMT

I think you're right, @MorningLover . I read that it had just been extensively restored.

I have a particular fondness for the old missions. I visited many of them when I lived in California.

My great-grandparents taught at one of the mission schools during WWII. It was common in those days to hire Indians to teach Indians. (I'm Native American, although I grew up calling myself and my people Indian. Old habits die hard.)

It feels like a piece of family history has burned down.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

Kachina624 — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:41:40 GMT

I hope this wasn't some sort of misguided arson. These old missions are priceless treasures. We have many in New Mexico.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

FlowerBear — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:43:00 GMT

a friend in LA told me about it and said that other missions are on alert now. wonder if it was arson!?

Re: San Gabriel Mission

Oostende — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:53:31 GMT

I've been to many of them, @Kachina624 . I grew up in the Southwest. The missions are a wonderful melding of Indian and Spanish architecture. They have a feel all their own.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

DiAnne — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 19:20:48 GMT

My paternal grandparents are buried in the cemetery at the mission.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

MorningLover — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 05:04:33 GMT

The July 11th mission church fire came at nearly the same time a Florida man set a church on fire.

Ocala, FL — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was called to the Queen of Peace Church in Ocala at 7:30 am Saturday. Deputies say a man drove his van through the front of the church, poured gas in the foyer, lit the church on fire, then took off.

Parishioners were inside getting ready for a morning mass. They were able to escape the church. No one was hurt. The fire was put out quickly by Marion County Fire Rescue.

A Florida man has been arrested and is now in jail facing several charges including attempted murder and arson.

Re: San Gabriel Mission

Isobel Archer — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:27:08 GMT

Wasn't it founded by Junipero Serra - whose statue has recently been destroyed by those who claim he persecuted indigenous peoples?