E N C Y C L O P E D I A

Mission San Jose

Mission San José was founded on June 11, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuen, the fourteenth mission in the California mission chain. It is named for St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. It is located in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont, California.

Mexican Governor Pio Pico sold the mission in 1845 for $12,000. During the 1848 California Gold Rush, the mission became a general store, saloon and hotel. In 1853, the church became the local parish church. On October 21, 1868, an earthquake destroyed the mission. A small wooden church was built on the site and used for over 100 years.

In 1985, restoration of the church was completed by the Committee for the Restoration of the Mission San Jose and the Diocese of Oakland. It is a near perfect replica of the original church. The padre's quarters are now a small museum. Saint Joseph's Church at the Mission San José is today a local parish church. The church has regular services and also has a visitors' center, museum and slide show telling the history of the mission.

See also: California mission

 

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