San Miguel Arcángel

San Miguel Arcángel

General Information

Founded:

July 25, 1797 - The 16th California Mission

Also Called:

Mission San Miguel

Current Status:

Parish Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey. For almost 89 years (from 1928-2017), San Miguel was a Franciscan novitiate.

Summary:

San Miguel Arcángel was founded on July 25, 1797. This mission’s historic church (completed in 1818) has rich vibrantly painted fresco murals. A picturesque colonnade leads to the church. San Miguel’s spacious grounds with ancient gateways and dilapidated adobe walls make this one of the most authentic-looking of the California missions.

Address

775 Mission Street
San Miguel, CA 93451
United States

Get Directions

Directions

Easily reached from US 101:

  • From the South, take Mission Street
  • From the North, take 10th Street

Follow the signs to the Mission. There is a prominent brick "companario" built in 1950 located at the south end of the mission property along the road to the mission complex.

Mission San Miguel Arcángel Welcome Tower
Mission San Miguel Arcángel Welcome Tower

Phone(s)

805-467-3256 - Mission Gift Shop and Museum

805-467-2131 - Parish Office

Fees, Hours, Tours and Church Services

Please contact the mission directly by telephone or by visiting the mission website for the most current information.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is best to check for current information.

Weddings and Other Special Services

San Miguel encourages weddings at the mission church but prefers to discuss requirements and details personally with interested couples. Please call the Parish Office to set up an appointment at 805-467-2131.

The San Miguel Parish Hall is a new facility adjacent to the Old Mission San Miguel. It is available for wedding receptions, birthdays, anniversaries, dinners, club meetings, or charity fundraisers.

Special Events

An Annual Fiesta is held in the Fall of each year. Check the website Events Calendar for scheduled events.

Unique Attractions

This authentic mission with its picturesque arcade, weathered adobe walls, ancient gateways, and extensive grounds is one of the jewels of the California mission chain.

  • The picturesque colonnade that leads to the church contains twelve (12) arches of different size and different shapes - unique among the California missions.
  • The San Miguel Church, which has been carefully restored after a severe earthquake occurred in 2003, is rich in vibrantly painted fresco murals. An all-seeing Eye-of-God tops the altar reredos.
  • The expansive cemetery on the east side of the church is one of the largest remaining original mission-era "campo santo" (cemetery). Over 2,000 Indians were buried here.
  • San Miguel has collected an awesome number of mission-era and post mission-era artifacts on display in the museum and on the grounds of the mission. One of the most interesting artifacts which has been preserved is part of a tree trunk which has an embedded cross carved into it. Crosses were carved into trees along "The King Highway" to signal the approach of a mission.
  • A drive around the full perimeter of the adobe-walled mission will give you a good sense of the scale of the average California mission complexes, many of which are now much reduced in size.
The Colonnade at Mission San Miguel
The Colonnade at Mission San Miguel
San Miguel Church Interior
San Miguel Church Interior
Eye of God at the San Miguel Mission
Eye of God at the San Miguel Mission
Mission San Miguel Sign Indian Burials
Mission San Miguel Sign Indian Burials
San Miguel Mission Cemetery
San Miguel Mission Cemetery
San Miguel Cross-In-Tree Display
San Miguel Cross-In-Tree Display

Other Historic Attractions

  • A visit to both Mission San Miguel and Mission San Antonio de Padua will give visitors an exposure to two of the more remote, most scenic and best preserved of the California missions.

Tips for Visitors

Be sure to visit this special place. The "Mission on the Highway" is easily reached from US 101. Allow several hours to fully explore this mission.

  • Enjoy the number and variety of the "bell towers" at Mission San Miguel but be aware of the history. The fact is that the mission never had a traditional bell tower. In the mission era bells were hung from a wooden beam in one of the archways. The bell which currently hangs there was cast in Mexico City in 1800. The large bell tower located inside the mission cemetery was designed and built in the mid 1930's.
  • The worn adobe walls, ancient gateways, and simple adobe structures of the mission complex make this one of the most authentic-looking missions in the chain.
San Miguel Bell Hanging from the Colonnade
San Miguel Bell Hanging from the Colonnade
San Miguel Gate
San Miguel Gate
San Miguel Bell Tower
San Miguel Bell Tower

Year Secularized

1834

Year Returned to Catholic Church

1859

Patron Saint (Named For)

Saint Michael the Archangel

Prominent Missionary Leaders

  • Founding Father President - Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuén.
  • Founding Missionaries - Fr. Antonio de la Concepción Horra and Fr. Buenaventura Sitjar.
  • Prominent Missionary Leader - Fr. Luis Antonio Martínez, a jovial and generous man as well as an effective manager, led the mission for thirty-four (34) years.
Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuén Portrait
Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuén Portrait

Indians Joining Mission

San Miguel was the second mission founded in the land of the Salinan people. The neophytes at this mission were referred to as Migueleños.

Mission Site

About halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in the town that developed around the mission. The site was called Valica by the Salinan and Paraje de los Pozos by the Spanish. It was surrounded by level land that was suitable for growing wheat.

Mission Layout

By 1826 the quadrangle measured 500 feet on each side. The entire complex extended over six (6) acres.

Water Source

There was ample water on the site from the San Miguel River and from several springs in the vicinity.

Population

The highest recorded population was 1,076 in 1814. There were still 658 neophytes at San Miguel in 1832, the last year for which there are records.

Livestock

San Miguel had a sizable livestock herd which averaged 22,000 head between 1811 and 1824. In the peak year of 1821 the mission had over 24,000 animals including 9,000 cattle and 13,500 sheep.

San Miguel Arcángel Cattle Brand
San Miguel Arcángel Cattle Brand

Agricultural Output

Over the years 1782-1832, San Miguel produced 92,000 bushels of wheat, barley, corn, beans, and peas. There was a large orchard to the east of the mission quadrangle where many types of fruit were grown.

Mission Church

The present church, begun in 1816 under the direction of Fr. Juan Martin, was completed in 1818. The church reredos have a statue of patron Saint Michael topped by the all-seeing Eye-of-God.

A picturesque colonnade, which leads to the church, contains twelve (12) arches of different sizes and shapes, a unique feature among the California missions.

 

Eye of God at the San Miguel Mission
Eye of God at the San Miguel Mission
The Colonnade at Mission San Miguel
The Colonnade at Mission San Miguel

Mission Bells

Mission San Miguel never had a traditional bell tower. In the mission era bells were hung from a wooden beam in one of the archways. The bell which currently hangs there was cast in Mexico City in 1800.

In the early 1900's, there was a small wooden bell rack erected outside the mission but this was removed when the current full-scale bell tower was erected inside the mission cemetery. This tower houses three bells, the largest of which weighs 2,000 pounds and was recast in 1888 from six cracked and broken bells donated by other missions. This bell tower was designed and built in the mid 1930's by Jess Crettol, a stonemason from Switzerland. The large bell is used to sound the Angelus (the sound of the bell is a call to prayer and to spread goodwill to everyone).

There is another bell tower at San Miguel, a brick campanario located on the south end of the mission property. The bells which hang in it are not real, but cast in cement. Jess Crettoll's oldest son, Jesse Crettoll, built this bell tower in the 1950's.

Mission San Miguel Bell Post by Sandham 1883
Mission San Miguel Bell Post by Sandham 1883
San Miguel Arcángel Lady By Bell Tower
San Miguel Arcángel Lady By Bell Tower
Mission San Miguel Arcángel Welcome Tower
Mission San Miguel Arcángel Welcome Tower

Mission Art and Artifacts

The interior of the San Miguel church is rich in vibrantly painted murals considered the best preserved and most authentic in the mission chain. The mission Indians, under the direction of artist, rancher and Spanish diplomat Esteban Carlos Munras of Monterey, completed the Neoclassical decor in 1820-1821.

Significant Events

  • A severe earthquake on December 22, 2003 caused extensive damage to the mission, which is considered one of the eleven most endangered places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
  • After an extensive restoration, the church was reopened in September 2009 and masses are now being held there (check the mission website for current mass schedules and information). Further work is required to fully restore all of the art and artifacts as well as the entire complex.

Interesting Facts

  • The mission buildings were sold in 1845 and between 1848-1870 portions were rented for a store, dance hall, offices and a saloon.
  • The fountain in front of the mission is not original (it was built in the 1940's) but harmonizes well with the rest of the mission. The design was adapted from the fountain at Mission Santa Barbara.
  • An original mission wine vat is located in a room at the south end of the convent that served as a temporary chapel when the 2003 earthquake closed the church.

For Additional Information

  • Edgar, K.J. and N.A. (2004). Mission of San Miguel Arcángel. (PowerKids Press, Missions of California Series).
  • Roberts. H.M. (1948). The Wishing Chair: A Tale of Mission San Miguel. Illustrated by Muriel Lawrence (Facsimile editions now available).
  • Iversen. E.C. (1940). Mission San Miguel Archangel.