Missions of California - San Diego de Alcalá

Mission San Diego de Alcala was founded July 16, 1769, by Father Junipero Serra. The first permanent Spanish settlement in California, it was named in honor of St. Didacus of Alcala.

The Yuma Indians were not friendly at first, quarreling with the soldiers and stealing supplies. They slowly began to come to the mission, but in 1775 several hundred Indians attacked, killing a priest and burning the church. Eventually the Indians realized they couldn't compete with the Spanish guns and cooperated with the padres in rebuilding the church.

A dam 6 miles upriver provided water for a system of aqueducts to bring water to the mission and fields. By 1797 the mission had 50,000 acres of land with a variety of crops and 32,000 head of livestock.

After secularization the mission suffered badly, and for 12 years was used by the U.S. Army to stable horses. By the time that restoration began in 1931, all that remained was a ragged facade. In 1941 the mission again became a parish church and was designated a Minor Basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1976. Today the mission is still an active parish.