Address
126 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
United States
Santa Cruz
General Information
Founded:
August 28, 1791 - The 12th California Mission
Current Status:
Parish Chapel of the Parish of the Holy Cross of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey. The mission chapel is a reduced scale replica of the original church and is a popular site for weddings and baptisms.
Summary:
Santa Cruz was founded on August 28, 1791, and is named for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Christianity. This mission is located on a bluff in the city of Santa Cruz, near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.
Directions
Mission Santa Cruz is located at the corner of Mission and High Streets, one block east of Highway 1 (Cabrillo Highway). Take Mission Street to High Street, turn left to reach the mission and Mission Park.
Website(s)
Phone(s)
831-426-5686 - Mission Galeria Shop
831-423-4182 - Church 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
Weddings are held at both the Holy Cross Parish Church and the Mission Chapel. Visit the church Sacramental Preparation page for more detailed information.
Unique Attractions
- The mission chapel is an authentic smaller one-third replica of the 1795 church.
- There is a 1797 oil painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe hanging on the side wall of the church.
- The interior of the chapel is very inviting and a popular site for Baptisms and small weddings.
- There is a small garden behind the mission. The original hand-carved baptismal font, once located in the sanctuary, is found here.
- A portion of the only original 1822 neophyte housing at Santa Cruz has been restored and is the central attraction in the Santa Cruz Mission State Historical Park. The park is about two blocks from the mission, on School Street, just off Mission Plaza. For information visit the website or call 831-335-1743.
Other Historic Attractions
- The city of Santa Cruz was founded in the mission era as the Villa de Branciforte. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History has a permanent history room.
- Santa Cruz has a beautiful coastline. Take the West Cliff Drive if you have time.
Tips for Visitors
- The Holy Cross Parish Church is an imposing, ornate Gothic-style church built in 1887. If you walk behind the church, you will see a marker indicating that this is where the original mission was located.
- Be sure to visit the Indian Adobe housing.
- It takes some patience and skill to photograph the chapel as high tension wires pass in front. One option is to photograph the chapel from the side as you can see in this picture.
- Another interesting vantage point is the view through the gothic arches in front of the Parish Church but the wires are quite visible.
Year Secularized
1834
Year Returned to the Catholic Church
1859 by President James Buchanan
Patron Saint (Named For)
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Christianity
Prominent Missionary Leaders
- Founding Father President - Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuén
- Founding Missionaries - Fr. Isídro Salazar and Fr. Balamero López
Indians Joining Mission
Members of the Awaswas tribelet of the Costanoan family were the predominant early neophytes joined later by other Costanoans and Yokuts.
Mission Site
On a bluff in the city of Santa Cruz, near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River and the native site of Uypi on the Monterey Bay. Moved to this location in 1793.
Mission Layout
Traditional quadrangle with a large garden and orchard near the mission.
Water Source
San Lorenzo River and springs on the mission property.
Population
Close proximity to the pueblo of Branciforte (present day Santa Cruz) and a series of natural disasters limited the success of this mission. The peak population recorded was only 523, achieved in 1796.
Livestock
Santa Cruz ranked in the bottom 25% of the California Missions in the size of its livestock herd - 9,236 in 1832.
Agricultural Output
Approximately 75,000 bushels of grain and produce were produced over the active life of the mission.
Mission Church
The Santa Cruz Mission church was destroyed in earthquakes. A painting by Leon Trousset was based on details provided by the locals after a most devastating earthquake in 1857.
In 1858 a "modern" wooden church was erected where the mission church once stood. The ornate Gothic-style church seen today subsequently replaced it in 1887 by the current parish church.
The mission chapel is a well-executed, smaller (one-third scale) replica of the 1795 mission church. It was erected in 1931.
Mission Bells
The original mission church, whose bell tower collapsed in 1840, contained nine (9) or ten (10) bells, none of which survived. The mission replica has a 20th century bell hanging in its tower.
Mission Art and Artifacts
The interior of the church has only a few original artifacts most of which were lost or destroyed in earthquakes.
Significant Events
- The residents of the nearby pueblo of Branciforte looted the mission in 1818 after the mission's inhabitants fled under threat of pirate attack by Hippolyte de Bouchard.
- The pueblo was founded with former prison convicts from Guadalajara.
Interesting Facts
- The first autopsy in California was performed on Fr. Andrés Quintana in 1812 to determine the cause of death (poisoning was suspected).
- The remains of Gladys S. Doyle, who funded the construction of the mission replica, are buried in the church baptistery.
- The only original mission neophyte housing in California is at the nearby State Historic Park.
For Additional Information
- Ostrow, K. (2004). Mission Santa Cruz. (PowerKids Press, Missions of California Series)
- Weber, F.J. (1984). Holy Cross Mission: A Documentary History of Santa Cruz.
- Van Coenen Torchiana, H.A. (1918). Story of Mission Santa Cruz.
Historical Gallery
Mission Santa Cruz (founded in 1791) moved to its present site, near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River, in 1793. The mission church was destroyed in an 1857 earthquake. A parish church was built directly over where the mission church once stood. A well-executed one-third scale replica of the mission church was erected in 1931.
This Historical Image Gallery contains a generous sample of the 19th century drawings and paintings of the original mission.
Contemporary Gallery
This Contemporary Image Gallery contains photographs from several different photographers depicting the restored mission chapel, the c. 1822 neophyte housing located in the adjacent Santa Cruz State Historic Park as well as some picturesque scenes from around the mission.
Architectural Gallery
Mission Santa Cruz's final church was completed in 1795, four years after the mission was founded. An earthquake destroyed this church in 1857. A "modern" wooden church was built on the site of the mission church in 1858. The current ornate Gothic-style parish church was built in 1887. Because the historic mission church no longer existed, the Santa Cruz mission was not included in the Historic American Buildings Survey.
