Ninth Spanish mission includes the remains of the original mission including the church and its garden
Ventura, CA 93001
Closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter and Thanksgiving Day
Seniors (65+) $4.00
Active Military (w/ID): $4.00
Youth (5-17) $2.00
Children (0-4) FREE
From Los Angeles(68 miles): Get on US-101 N. Continue on US-101 N/Ventura Fwy to Ventura. Take exit 70A from US-101 N/Ventura Fwy. Follow US-101 BUS to S Palm St.
Overview
Mission Basilica San Buenaventura is a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The parish church in the city of Ventura, California, United States, is a Spanish mission founded by the Order of Friars Minor. Founded on March 31, 1782, it was the ninth Spanish mission established in Alta California (or Nueva California) and the last to be established by the head of the Franciscan missions in California, Junípero Serra. Designated a California Historical Landmark, the mission is one of many locally designated landmarks in downtown Ventura.
The mission was named after St. Bonaventure, a 13th-century Franciscan saint, one of the early leaders of the Order to which the friars belonged, and a Doctor of the Church. On June 9, 2020, Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica, and on July 15, 2020, the feast day of its patron saint, the announcement of the Pope's action was made and the elevation of the mission's status was officially proclaimed by Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles. The name of the mission was changed to reflect this new status in the Catholic Church.
Mission San Buenaventura was planned to be founded in 1770, but the founding was delayed because of the low availability of the military escorts needed to establish the mission. In 1793, the first church burned down. When the mission was completed, it included an adjacent quadrangle with living and work space. All that remains of the original mission is the church and its garden.
All that remains of the original mission is the church and its garden. A small museum sits at the mission with displays of Chumash Indian artifacts and mission-era items. Located in the historic downtown of Ventura, very few California missions had the center of business and commerce remain at the location where the mission was established like Mission San Buenaventura. The church remains an active Catholic parish, serving approximately 2,000 families, and services are still held in the parish church. A reproduction of the Pieta at St. Peter's Basilica was donated to the parish in 2018.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mission Basilica San Buenaventura", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
