Isabelle P.

Gargantos
Mission Santa Clara de Asis
April 11, 2017
 Table of Contents

Location of Santa Clara Mission ………………………………………………… 3

Early History …………………………………………………………………….. 4

Local Tribes ……………………………………………………………………... 5

Geography ……………………………………………………………………….. 6

Daily Life ………………………………………………………………………... 7

Interesting Facts …………………………………………………………………. 8

Floor Plan ………………………………………………………………………... 9

Bibliography …………………………………………………………………….. 10

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Location of Santa Clara Mission

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Early History

On the 12th of January 1777, Father Junipero Serra founded the 8th out of 21 missions –

Mission Santa Clara de Asis or simply Mission Santa Clara. Father Junipero came from a village

of Petra on the island of Majorca off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. This mission was built for

the Native Americans, mainly for the Ohlone people, to have a place for worship and spread

Christianity to them. Also, the mission served as the sister mission to Mission Dolores in San

Francisco. The goal of Mission Santa Clara was to stabilize the South Bay receiving goods and

services meant for the new Pueblo of San Jose. The traditional sponsors of the missions were the

King of Spain and his Viceroy, but they were thrown out because of the secession of Mexico from

the Spanish Empire that led to the disarray of the 21 missions.

Because of the secession of Mexico from the Spanish Empire, insufficient funds and a

single priest to operate the mission as a parish church made Santa Clara Mission fell into serious

decay. It was Bishop Joseph Alemany who approached a Jesuit priest to see about turning Mission

Santa Clara into a college – which made Mission Santa Clara the first college of higher learning

in the new state of California. There were also flood, fire and earthquake that made Mission Santa

Clara have five relocations until the Mission finally settled on the banks of the Guadalupe River

in 1822.

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Local Tribe – The Ohlone Tribe

Before the first Europeans arrived in the South Bay, it was the Ohlone Tribe that occupied

the area. The native’s population was about 10,000. Ohlone religion revolved around ritual dances

with dancers wearing colorful, iconic costumes and tribal members communing in the tribal sweat

lodge – for ensuring good hunts, healing the sick and driving away bad spirits and impurities. On

their encounter with the Spanish explorers, things changed for the Ohlone tribe. They became a

blended “mission” identity from being known for having a strict tribal identity. From being a tribe

of having a native world view, they became Catholic converts and citizens of the Spanish Empire.

The Ohlone people were generally more open to the newcomers. They were attracted and

convinced by the Franciscans and the process of converting to being Catholics unfolded over time

without any violence, threat or force. A significant unintended and environmental motivator that

led the people for choosing to join the mission was the increasing scarcity of native game and

natural foods brought about the padre’s imported herds of cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and goats.

This led the mission’s increasing monopoly over the local food supply.

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Geography

The mission is located 40 miles south of San Francisco at the Southern end of San Francisco

Bay, near a stream called Rio de Senora de Guada and its exact address is 500 El Camino Real,

Santa Clara, California 95053.

The Santa Clara Valley was a fertile spot – reason why the mission soon harvested an

abundance of fruits and grain and many head of livestock roamed its lands. Since the Mission of

Santa Clara de Asis was near to the Mission Dolores in San Francisco, it was chosen so that it was

easier to help its sister mission to aid the people in the South Bay. The South Bay Area was an

excellent location for the mission.

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Daily Life
The jobs that the people had at the missions was more on new trade skills of ranching,

farming, tanning, adobe brick and tile making – making these necessary for survival. Every day,

the mission wakes up at sunrise when the bell rings to signal that church service is about to start.

The natives and catholic priests would attend regular mass. After church, the natives would

proceed to plow the fields, raise livestock, and fish for dinner. They also made olive oil, leather

goods, pottery, weaved products and wine.

Children would go to school to learn the Spanish language while the older ones grow crops

such as fruits and grains. Usually, the padres were the teachers of the native children. From

12:00nn to 2:00pm, they would have their lunch and take a short siesta after. At 5:00pm, they

would pray and sing to be followed by supper and free time at 6:00pm. In the day, men and older

children would work in the workshop while at night, the women make supper. By 8:00pm, women

would go to bed, an hour later than men would.

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Interesting Facts

One interesting fact on my mission is that Mission Santa Clara de Asis was the first mission

to be named after a woman, St. Claire of Assisi, an early companion of St. Francis. It was good to

know that there was no discrimination in gender when it comes to religion and women is being

recognized by the Catholic Church. I felt good because I am girl.

Second, the mission experienced many hardships before it was finally established. Two

floods, two fires, and several earthquakes were some of the problems the mission had to overcome.

This is the reason for the mission to be relocated five times until settling in the banks of the

Guadalupe River. This fact amazed me too much that my family and I had to drive all the way to

the mission to witness and see the history of Mission Santa Clara de Asis. I learned a lot of things

during our trip to Santa Clara. I learned that old places can be beautiful as new places. The history

and hardships that the mission went through made me want explore all 20 other missions and learn

each of their histories.

Lastly, the most interesting fact that I’ve learned is that Mission Santa Clara de Asis was

not only a church but a university as well. It also has a rose garden where Padre Junipero was

buried. It amazed me because education and religion is very important to me. My family taught

me how to be a good student and a good child of God, making my trip to the mission a very

memorable one. All the statues and old crucifixes made me imagine that I was time travelling to

the past while learning the mission’s history. Everything felt magical because there was too much

history and knowledge to feel and imagine.

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Floor Plan

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Bibliography

Books:

Lichtenstein, B. (2004). Santa Clara, California (Images of America Series). Arcadia Publishing
SC.

Spearman, A. D. (n.d.). The Five Franciscan Churches of Mission Santa Clara, 1777-1825: A
Documentation (Ser. 1). Literary Licensing, LLC.

Websites:

The History of Mission Santa Clara. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017, from
https://www.scu.edu/missionchurch/historical-information/

Mission Santa Clara. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017, from

http://www.blantonbunch.com/4th/4/Video4/2014-
2015Missions/mission%20santa%20clara%20by%20ralphie%20garcia.pdf

Gillespie, L. (n.d.). Santa Clara de Asis. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from

http://www.pgroveschool.org/subsites/Jill-Thorndyke/documents/Missions/Londyn-
s%20Mission%20Presentation.pdf

Mission Santa Clara de Asis. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017, from

http://mrskelleysstars.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/5/0/13501882/brandons_mission_presentation.pdf

Mission Santa Clara de Asis. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017, from

http://manuals.hobbico.com/hca/hcay9040-diecut.pdf

Mission Santa Clara de Asis. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Santa_Clara_de_As%C3%ADs

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