February 11, 2026
Mission San Fernando Rey De Espana, built in 1797, was the 17th of the historic missions established in California and is named for King Ferdinand III of Spain. It is definitely one of the largest missions we have visited so far and was once a massive agricultural operation with thousands of of sheep and cattle.
It also has the largest museum of the missions we have visited, taking up a number of refurbished rooms in the Convento, Built in 1822, it remains the largest two story adobe building in California.
There is even a room containing several hundred statues, plaques and paintings depicting the Madonna. The Mother of God, not the pop star.
The mission church had to be completely rebuilt in its original style after a massive earthquake in 1971.
Randomly, the mission is the final resting place of iconic American comedian Bob Hope and his wife Dolores.
Junipero Serra was a Franciscan monk who established eight of the Californian historic missions. His name pops up frequently as you travel through California, on everything from streets to schools. He was canonized (declared a saint) by Pope Francis in Washington DC on September 23, 2015 in the first canonization held on United States soil. The canonization was not without controversy, as opponents pointed out that the indigenous people had suffered greatly under the mission system that he had created. Many of the converts were not free to leave after baptism and were forced to work at the missions. Further, the missions suppressed the traditional culture and religion of the local people. The mission system also undoubtedly contributed to the catastrophic collapse of the indigenous population, as they were brought together at the missions where they were at much greater danger of catching and dying from the European diseases to which they had no immunity. The child death rates in particular were extremely high. As a result, many Serra statues have been toppled or removed in California which probably explains why this statue of Serra comes with a warning.
Less controversial and less austere, was the statue of this angel standing under an orange tree.
Mal and Lauren 