The History of Carmel Mission

Founded in 1771 by Father Junípero Serra, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Río Carmelo, or Carmel Mission, was the second of 21 missions established in Alta California. These missions aimed to expand Spain’s influence in Alta California by converting the Indigenous Peoples to Christianity and integrating them into Spanish culture. Today a historic landmark, it remains an active Catholic parish and a significant cultural and religious destination.

Following the establishment of the first mission in San Diego in 1769, Franciscan friar Serra founded Carmel Mission. Initially located within the Monterey Presidio, Serra soon relocated it near the Carmel River due to its advantageous access to fresh water, fertile land, and proximity to Native American villages.

Under Father Serra’s leadership, the Mission focused on teaching the Rumsen Ohlone people farming and cattle raising. The early years were difficult with few provisions, but crops, vineyards, orchards, and livestock ensured future prosperity.

Over time, the Mission’s population grew, necessitating the construction of additional buildings and larger churches. The original wooden and mud structures gave way to more permanent adobe buildings. Serra died in 1784 and was buried near the altar inside the final adobe church he built.

Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén, Serra’s successor, oversaw the construction of the present-day stone church, dedicated in 1797. This unique structure blended Spanish colonial and Native American architectural styles, featuring curved archways, thick adobe walls, and a bell tower. By this time, the mission had achieved agricultural self-sufficiency with extensive livestock holdings.

The 19th century brought challenges. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government secularized the missions in 1833, stripping them of lands and assets. The Carmel Mission was abandoned and fell into decay, with the stone church’s roof collapsing in 1852.

After California was ceded to the United States following the Mexican-American War in 1848, the Catholic Church eventually regained control, but by then, the mission deteriorated significantly due to years of neglect.

Preservation efforts began in 1880 when Father Angelo Casanova started offering tours of the Mission ruins to raise repair funds. In the lead-up to World War I, Fr. Ramon Mestrés, head of the Diocese of Monterey, established the Restoration League to unite community members and parishioners in raising restoration funds.

The most significant restoration work was done by Harry Downie, who worked for 50 years to restore the Mission, ancillary buildings, walls, and grounds until his death in 1980. His tenure at the Mission was considered the greatest period of restoration in its history. He went to great lengths to create authentic reproductions, marked by his meticulous research and dedication to authenticity. His first project restored the padres’ quarters. In 1936, he tackled the Mission’s roof before spending five years to refurbish the church interior. Downie restored the quadrangle, including the soldiers’ barracks, padres’ kitchen, and blacksmith shop.

He also scoured California, retrieving and conserving dispersed Mission artifacts. So devoted was he that Pope Pius XII knighted him into the Order of St. Gregory. King Juan Carlos of Spain later knighted him for this work.

The Mission was designated a Basilica in 1960, solidifying its historical significance. It has since hosted presidents and world leaders. In 1987, Pope John Paul III visited the Mission and later beatified Father Serra in Rome. In 2015, His Holiness Pope Francis canonized Father Serra.

Today, Two and a half centuries after San Junípero held Carmel’s first Mass in a humble, one-room shelter, or enramada, on the north bank of the Carmel River, the Mission continues to serve as an active and vital Catholic parish. It also functions as a museum and a symbol of California’s cultural and religious history. It remains one of the most historically significant and best-preserved California Missions.