The reconstructed Mission San Antonio de Padua as it appeared in 2006; construction on the Mission first began in 1810. The baked brickCampanario is unique among California Missions. | |
| Location | nearJolon,Monterey County, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°00′54″N121°15′00″W / 36.01500°N 121.25000°W /36.01500; -121.25000 |
| Name as founded | La Misión de San Antonio de Padua[1] |
| English translation | The Mission of Saint Anthony of Padua |
| Patron | Saint Anthony of Padua[2] |
| Nickname(s) | "Mission of the Sierras"[citation needed] |
| Founding date | July 14, 1771[3] |
| Founding priest(s) | FatherJunípero Serra[4] |
| Founding Order | Third[2] |
| Military district | Third[5] |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) | Salinan |
| Native place name(s) | Telhaya[6] |
| Baptisms | 4,419[7] |
| Marriages | 1,142[7] |
| Burials | 3,617[7] |
| Secularized | 1834[2] |
| Returned to theChurch | 1862 |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey |
| Current use | Parish Church |
| Designated | 1976 |
| Reference no. | 76000504[8] |
| Reference no. | 232[9] |
| Website | |
| http://www.missionsanantonio.net | |
Mission San Antonio de Padua is aSpanish mission established by theFranciscan order in present-dayMonterey County,California, near the present-day town ofJolon. Founded on July 14, 1771, it was the third mission founded inAlta California by Father PresidenteJunípero Serra. The mission was the first use of fired tile roofing in Upper California.[4] Today the mission is aparish church of theDiocese of Monterey and is no longer active in themission work which it was set up to provide.[10][11]


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Mission San Antonio de Padua was the third Mission to be founded in Alta California, and was located along the very earliest routing of the Camino Real. This mission was located on a site which was unfortunately somewhat remote from the more reliable water source of what later became known as theSalinas River. In that very early year of the missions, thelater more favorable routing of the Camino Real, more closely aligning with the course of the Salinas River, had not yet been discovered or established.[12]
Father Junipero Serra claimed the site on July 14, 1771, and dedicated the Mission to Saint Anthony of Padua. Saint Anthony was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal and is the patron saint of the poor. Father Serra left Fathers Miguel Pieras andBuenaventura Sitjar behind to continue the building efforts, though the construction of the church proper did not actually begin until 1810.
In 1805, the native people at the mission, mostly NorthernSalinan (Antoniano) but also some Yokuts andEsselen,[13] had increased to 1,300. By 1810, only 178Native Americans were living at the Mission,[14] In 1834, aftersecularization[13] there were 150Mission Indians remaining. No town grew up around the mission, as was usual at other missions.
In 1845,Mexican GovernorPío Pico declared all mission buildings inAlta California for sale, but no one bid for Mission San Antonio. In 1863, after nearly 30 years, the Mission was returned to theCatholic Church.[13] In 1894, roof tiles were salvaged from the property and installed on theSouthern Pacific Railroaddepot located inBurlingame, California, one of the first permanent structures constructed in theMission Revival Style.
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2021) |

The first attempt to rebuild the Mission came in 1903 whenAndrew Garriga, the pastor of theKing City andGonzales parish, and the California Historical Landmarks League began holding outings at San Antonio. "Preservation and restoration of Mission San Antonio began. TheNative Sons of the Golden West donated $1,400. Tons of debris were removed from the interior of the chapel.the mission was restored 2 times. Breaches in the side wall were filled in."[15]Unfortunately, the earthquake of 1906 seriously damaged the building. In 1928,Franciscan friars held services at San Antonio de Padua. It took nearly 50 years to completely restore the Mission. The State of California is requiring a $12–15 million earthquake retrofit that must be completed by 2015, or the mission will be closed. As of 2011, there were 35 private families keeping the mission open. There is an active campaign to raise funds for the retrofit.[16]
Despite its being still referred to as a mission, the Mission San Antonio de Padua is no longer active inCatholic missions and has become more focused as a parish church, fundraiser location, and tourist attraction.[10] In 2005, the Franciscan Friars turned over the mission's caretaking and ownership to the Diocese of Monterey.[10] Under the leadership of the Diocese of Monterey, Mission San Antonio de Padua transformed into a Catholic parish which also hosts group gatherings, gift shops and a museum with picnic grounds.[10]

Today, the nearest city isKing City, nearly 29 miles (47 kilometers) away; Jolon, a small town, is located six miles (10 km) from the Mission. Historians consider the Mission's pastoral location in the valley of theSan Antonio River along theSanta Lucia Mountains as an outstanding example of early mission life.
The mission is surrounded by theFort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation, which was acquired by theU.S. Army from the Hearst family duringWorld War II to train troops. Additional land was acquired from the Army in 1950 to increase the mission area to over 85 acres (34 hectares). This fort is still actively training troops today.
Mission San Antonio de Padua is one of the designated tour sights of theJuan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.


As of 2013, Franciscan Friar Jeff BurnsOFM, is in charge of the Mission.

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