Missions of California -San Antonio de Padua

Mission San Antonio de Padua was founded by Father Junipero Serra on July 14, 1771. Third in the mission chain, it was named after St. Anthony, who was laid to rest in Padua, Italy.

Anxious to get this mission underway, Father Serra hung a bell in a large oak tree and rang it vigorously to call "ye gentiles", attracting a curious Native American. Serra approached the man and offered him gifts, and later in the day he returned with many of his nearby tribesmen. By 1805 there were more than 1200 Native Americans residing at the mission.

Father Buenaventura Sitjar, who served at San Antonio for 37 years, developed a series of dams and aqueducts used for irrigation of agricultural undertakings. The remnants of this early water system, along with a gristmill, are still there.

Due to its remote location, Mission San Antonio was badly plundered after secularization in 1834. The formidable task of restoration was begun in 1903, and the mission is now an accurate replica of the original.

Owned today by the Catholic Church, parts of the compound are used by the Franciscan Friars. The mission is surrounded by Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation, which is still actively training troops.