San Juan Capistrano

Photos & Description by Robert B.

San Antonio, Texas 

Mission San Juan Capistrano is part of the historic Missions Trail located in south San Antonio but unlike Mission San Jose, Mission Espada and the famed Alamo it was not originally built here.  Originally founded in 1716 in the woodlands of East Texas, Mission San Juan was transferred piece by piece in 1731 to its present location just east of the San Antonio River.  In 1756, the stone church, a friary and a granary were completed.

Mission San Juan was a self-sustaining community.  Within its compound, Indian artisans produced iron tools, cloth and prepared hides.  Orchards and beautiful gardens outside the walls provided melons, pumpkins, grapes and a variety of peppers.  Beyond the mission complex Indian farmers cultivated maize, beans, squash, sweet potatoes and sugar cane.  The fields were irrigated by a series of aquaducts which utilized every available drop of infrequent rains.  The Indians of San Juan were hard-working and peaceful.

In 1767 a government inspector was dispatched to the mission to recommend how the community should be administrated.  The inspector's report stated, "..... The Indians themselves take care of work in the cloth factory, carpenter shop, forge .......  and attend to all the work that is to be done in the town.  They are industrious and diligent and are skilled in all kinds of labor.  Overseers or administrators are not needed".

By the mid 1700s, San Juan Capistrano, with its rich farm and pasturelands, was a regional supplier of agricultural produce.  With its surplus, San Juan established a trade network stretching as far east as Louisiana and as far south as Coahuila, Mexico.

It may seem quiet today, yet Mission San Juan Capistrano, still, is the center of a vibrant community.  The joining of Spanish and native peoples has led to a new, unique and colorful culture that is celebrated among the people of San Juan Parish.  Many present parishioners trace their roots back to the original inhabitants (many of who lie buried within the confines of this Holy ground).  For today's parishioners, Mission San Juan serves as the spiritual center of their community.  They come to worship at the church, nestled beneath ancient bells, just as their ancestors did centuries ago. 

Walk the grounds in solitary meditation and you can hear the original inhabitants.  Their voices seem to drift out from the old limestone walls.  Feel the breeze.  You won't know for certain if it is just the winter breeze or if friendly ghosts of the past are strolling by.  Being a romantic, I choose to believe in the latter.  Goodnight and God Bless from Mission San Juan Capistrano.