[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1314-E1316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, ONE OF CALIFORNIA'S 
                            GREAT TREASURES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 24, 1997

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, today is the 200th anniversary of Mission San 
Juan Bautista, which was founded on June 24, 1797, by Father Fermin 
Francisco de Lasuen, a Spanish basque Franciscan priest. It was the 
feast day of Saint John the Baptist.
  As we go about our daily business in the Capitol, we frequently see 
the statue of Junipero Serra, the founder of what became the 21-mission 
system which begins in the south at San Diego and extends over 600 
miles to the north.
  Father Serra had the vision of missions that would be the centers of 
Christian education and practice in their particular area. The missions 
were ultimately also the educators and the producers and manufacturers 
of the clothes and food needed in what was to become the State of 
California in 1850.
  In modern management terminology, Father Serra was the visionary 
chairman of the board/chief executive officer. Father Lasuen was the 
quietly effective chief operating officer with the talent and 
organizational skills to carry out the vision. With the death of Serra 
in 1784, Lasuen soon became his most energetic successor. In 1 year, 
Lasuen founded four missions including San Juan Bautista. Given the 
difficulties of transportation and communication that was a remarkable 
feat.
  San Juan Bautista is the largest mission in continuous service since 
its founding. It is the only mission with three aisles. Some of the 
other missions are in ruins. Still others, such as Santa Barbara, have 
been beautifully restored after an earthquake in 1925. Fortunately, San 
Juan Bautista is still in its original condition, despite being within 
a mile of the San Andreas Fault. Eight miles away is Hollister, the 
county seat of San Benito County. That community of 20,000 is known as 
``the earthquake capital of California.'' The Franciscan priests were 
architects, builders, administrators, and educators, among their 
numerous roles. With foresight, the mission is constructed of large 
adobe bricks. They have now withstood the tremors of two centuries.
  The bicentennial festivities were spread over the period from Friday, 
June 20 through Wednesday, June 25. Friday began with a 6:30 p.m. 
Kiddie Parade.
  Sunday was not only a beautiful day to celebrate the continuity 
provided by the mission but also the first formal recognition of the 
role of Father Lasuen.

  All of us were delighted that a delegation of community leaders from 
Vitoria, Spain, were able to join us. Father Lasuen grew up in Vitoria, 
the capital of a largely Basque province. A relative of the 
distinguished American author of the history of the Basque people read 
a letter from his uncle, Robert Laxalt, author of the Sweet Promised 
Land. Laxalt described Lasuen as ``The Quiet Legend who was seasoned by 
experience, a wise administrator and a spiritual leader tempered by 
reality.''
  Under the dedicated and able leadership of Bicentennial Committee 
Chairman Leonard Caetano, who with the help of his wife--and my 
classmate--Rosemary (Mim), and a hard-working group of committee 
members an amazing array of activities were arranged for the several 
thousand who participated in this unique celebration.
  Some of the Sunday events included:
  6:30 a.m.--Re-enactment of the founding of the mission.
  7:00 a.m.--Bilingual mass followed by a pancake breakfast.
  10:00 a.m.--A parade which included bands, dancers, horses and 
wagons, one of which was masterfully driven by Romaldo Martin of the M 
& M Farms who was joined by his friend George Nunes. They ably made it 
through the streets with this U.S. Representative, who grew up on a 
ranch five miles from the mission, standing up and waving to a friendly 
crowd.
  11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.--A chicken barbecue.
  3:00 p.m.--Dedication of the bronze bust of Father Lasuen.
  4:00 p.m.--Grand prize drawing for a pick-up truck. This is still 
farm country.
  The dedication was particularly moving. The Native Sons of the Golden 
West, the Native Daughters of the Golden West, and the Daughters of the 
American Revolution presented generous checks for the restoration fund. 
Besides myself, Assemblyman Peter Frusetta made a formal presentation 
on behalf of the California State Assembly. A representative of State 
Senator McPherson made a similar presentation on behalf of the State 
Senate.
  The crowd was pleased to hear from the current priest Father Edward 
Fitz-Henry. His predecessor was Father Maximilian Santa Maria, who 
inspired the community to celebrate this significant milestone in the 
history of the mission. His humor was enjoyed by all. He

[[Page E1315]]

was the able translator for the guests from Vitoria.
  The bust of Father Lasuen by Alberto Forrestor was appreciated by 
all. It contains the likeness that various accounts of the time have 
noted and as historian Robert Laxalt has summarized: Father Lasuen 
``was a young man of medium height, a ruddy complexion, a pock-marked 
face--probably from small pox, a moderate growth of beard, black-eyed 
and black hair.''
  The letter from Robert Laxalt and the words from the heart of the 
delegation from Vitoria were well received.
  Throughout the celebration, there was active participation by a 
number of the Native American tribes such as the Mutsun whose ancestors 
made San Juan Bautista one of the most prosperous of the 21 missions. 
Their artistry was in evidence throughout the city.
  Mission San Juan Bautista was also a major center for church music. 
In the early eighteen hundreds, Indiana youth were trained to read 
music and harmonize by following their colored notes up and down the 
scale. Their voices filled the air as the chords and bells were heard 
in the small town that was growing and in the productive green valley 
that lies below.
  Cheryl Miller, a reporter for the Hollister Free Lance interviewed 
Sonne Reyna, a member of the local American Indian Intertribal Council, 
who said that ``the bicentennial is a time for `reconciliation' between 
the Native American and mission communities.'' Reyna added that the 
members of ``the bicentennial committee have been very sensitive of 
what we as an Intertribal Council want to do to honor the ancestors.''
  Other active participants were the California state park rangers who 
provide interpretation of the history of the area from the Castro House 
and the Plaza Hotel on the south of the mission plaza and the barn, 
stable, and houses on the east. There are some fine specimans of 
equipment and wagons from the latter part of the 19th century.
  Eleven miles away is Fremont Peak, named in honor of John Charles 
Fremont, ``the Pathfinder,'' whose topographic expedition came to the 
area in the 1840's and raised the American flag over what was then 
Mexican territory. General Castro looked at the Americans through his 
spyglass. They looked down at him. No damage was done by either side. 
After three days, the Fremont expedition headed east to the United 
States of America whose boundary was still far from the Pacific Ocean.
  Mr. Speaker, it was a privilege to be asked to speak on this 
significant occasion. When I was in grammar school at San Juan, my 
mother, Isabelle McCaffrey Horn, was the speaker at an annual ``Peak 
Day'' to celebrate Fremont's raising of the American flag for the first 
time in California.
  Then and now, San Juan is ``A City of History'' as the banner was 
inscribed at the western entrance.
  For the return of a native son who has never forgotten his roots, it 
was also an opportunity to see classmates from both elementary and high 
school and to meet the current community leaders.
  If our fellow citizens wish to live for a moment in a proud past, 
they should visit San Juan, its mission, El Teatro Campesino, its well 
preserved homes from another century, and meet the dedicated group of 
those who deeply care about historic preservation. It would be time 
well spent.
  Mr. Speaker, I have attached some of the newspaper coverage which 
preceded the celebration. They include the Pinnacle (June 19, 1997), 
the Hollister Free Lance (June 20, 1997), and the Dispatch, located in 
Gilroy which is 10 miles north of San Juan.

                   [From the Pinnacle, June 19, 1997]

             San Juan to Celebrate Mission's 200th Birthday

       Beginning tomorrow (Friday) and running through Tuesday, 
     Mission San Juan Bautista will be a beehive of activity as 
     thousands of visitors are expected to help celebrate the 
     mission's bicentennial.
       A Kiddie Parade will kick off activities Friday, beginning 
     at 6:30 p.m.
       On Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m., there will be a reading 
     of names of individuals buried in the mission cemetery, 
     followed at 10:30 by a Native American blessing.
       From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Fiesta, complete with food, 
     games and entertainment, will take place and at 5:30 p.m. 
     there will be a bilingual mass. Crowning of the queen is 
     scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday on the plaza, followed by two 
     dances at 9, one featuring Mexican music at the Veterans of 
     Foreign Wars Hall and another, at the Community Center, for 
     the country music crowd.
       A full day of activities is slated for Sunday, beginning at 
     6:30 a.m. with re-enactment of the founding of the mission, 
     at 7 there will be a bilingual mass and pancake breakfast.
       The parade through downtown San Juan Bautista will be at 10 
     a.m. Chairman Leonard Caetano is expecting more than 100 
     entries in the parade.
       A second day of Fiesta activities begins at 11 and 
     continues until 5 p.m. The chicken barbecue will also take 
     place between 11 and 5.
       At 3 p.m. Sunday there will be a dedication of the bronze 
     statue of Father Fermin de Lasuen, founder of the mission. At 
     4 p.m. the grand prize drawing of a pick-up truck will take 
     place.
       A bilingual prayer session is set for 6 p.m. on Monday.
       On Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m. a blessing of the chapel 
     service is scheduled. The bicentennial luncheon begins at 
     11:30 a.m. followed by a mass at 3 p.m. and reception at 
     4:30. The bicentennial dinner dance is scheduled for 7 p.m. 
     Tuesday and is the final activity of the four day event.


     
                                                                    ____
             [From the Hollister Free Lance, June 20, 1997]

                     Mission Celebrates 200th Year

                           (By Cheryl Miller)

       A celebration 200 years in the making starts tonight with a 
     parade commemorating Mission San Juan Bautista's 
     bicentennial.
       The Kiddie Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. at Mutkelem and Third 
     streets and ends at the corner of Polk and Second. A full 
     slate of ceremonies, games, dances and meals resumes at 10:30 
     a.m. Saturday.
       Preparation activities were still under way Thursday 
     afternoon.
       ``We'll be ready when it gets here,'' said Leonard Caetano, 
     chairman of the mission bicentennial committee. ``We're busy 
     as a bunch of beavers.''
       The official bicentennial is Tuesday. On that day 200 years 
     ago, Father Fermin de Lasuen, a Franciscan priest, 
     established the mission along what is now known to be the San 
     Andreas Fault.
       The mission was one of eight established by de Lasuen and 
     the 15th among 21 founded by the Franciscans in what was 
     referred to as Alta, California. Thanks to the work of 
     members of various Native American tribes, Mission San Juan 
     Bautista became one of the most prosperous sites in the 
     Franciscan's chain.
       The mission today is one of the best preserved sites in the 
     former statewide chain. Its church is the only one with three 
     aisles and officials claim a Mass has been said there every 
     day since its founding.
       The mission has had a lasting impact on the city that grew 
     up around it. Sam Juan Bautista was once an important 
     stopping point for stages that traveled between Northern and 
     Southern California. Tourism remains a top industry today in 
     the town often referred to as the Mission City.
       A state park grew up around the mission as well. Today, 
     40,000 fourth-graders is it the park annually to study the 
     buildings of the people who lived near the mission in its 
     various eras.
       The mission itself remains an active Catholic church. The 
     mission hosts regular services for parishioners, weddings and 
     ceremonies for the community. The total theater group, El 
     Teatro Campesino, plays to sold out crowds in the mission 
     every holiday season.
       The weekend's activities include a full slate of tributes 
     to the founders, Native Americans, and others who contributed 
     to the mission.
       A bronze statute of Father de Lasuen, donated by the 
     residents of his hometown, Vitoria, Spain, will be dedicated 
     in front of the mission Sunday at 3 p.m.
       A Native American blessing will be said at 10:30 a.m. 
     Saturday, at the plaza, A roll call of the names of about 200 
     Mutsun Indians buried in the mission will then be read.
       Sonne Reyna, a member of the San Juan American Indian 
     Intertribal Council, said the bicentennial is a time for 
     ``reconciliation'' between the Native American and mission 
     communities.
       ``We feel that the padre and the bicentennial committee 
     have been very sensitive of what we as an Intertribal Council 
     want to do to honor the ancestors,'' Reyna said.
       Members of the San Juan Indian Council and an inter-tribal 
     delegation will be participating in various bicentennial 
     events.
       A fiesta featuring a barbecue, a raffle, games and music 
     will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
       Events resume Tuesday when Bishop Sylvester Ryan will bless 
     a newly restored chapel located behind the current church. 
     The tiny chapel was built in 1797 but abandoned by the church 
     in favor of a larger facility.
       It was used as a schoolroom and gift shop and then nearly 
     forgotten until restoration work began last year. After the 
     bicentennial celebration, the chapel will likely be opened 
     for regular use, according to church officials.
       The weekend's bicentennial celebration is being dedicated 
     to Anthony Botelho, a San Juan resident who was active in 
     both the community and mission life. He died last November at 
     the age of 83.
       ``He was probably as active as anybody ever was,'' said 
     Caetano. ``He started (working in the mission community) when 
     he was 16 and he was even planning for the bicentennial when 
     he fell ill and passed away.''
       A ceremony in Botelho's honor is tentatively scheduled 
     between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday at the plaza.


     
                                                                    ____
             [From the Gilroy, CA Dispatch, June 20, 1997]

            Celebration of Mission SJ Bautista's 200th year

                           (By Cheryl Miller)

       San Juan Bautista.--A celebration 200 years in the making 
     begins tonight in the

[[Page E1316]]

     Mission City commemorating Mission San Juan Bautista's 
     bicentennial.
       ``We'll be ready when it gets here,'' said Leonard Caetano, 
     chairman of the mission bicentennial committee. ``We're busy 
     as a bunch of beavers.''
       A Kiddie Parade begins at 6:30 p.m., and a full slate of 
     ceremonies, games, dances and meals resumes at 10:30 a.m. 
     Saturday.
       The official bicentennial is Tuesday, and on that 200 years 
     ago, Father Fermin de Lasuen, a Franciscan priest, 
     established the mission along what is now known to be the San 
     Andreas Fault.
       The mission was one of eight established by Lausen and the 
     15th among 21 created by the Franciscans in what was then 
     referred to as Alta California. Thanks to the work of members 
     of various Native American tribes, Mission San Juan Bautista 
     became one of the most prosperous sites in the Franciscan's 
     chain, producing the largest crop among the 21.
       The mission today is one of the best preserved sites in the 
     former statewide chain. Its church is the only one with three 
     aisles and church officials claim a mass has been said there 
     every day since its foundation.
       The mission has had far-reaching effects on the city that 
     grew up around it as well. San Juan Bautista was once an 
     important shopping point for stages that traveled between 
     Northern and Southern California. And tourism remains a top 
     industry today. The town is often referred to as the Mission 
     City.
       A state park grew up around the mission as well. Today, 
     40,000 fourth-graders visit the park annually to study the 
     buildings of the people who lived near the mission in its 
     various eras.
       The mission itself remains an active Catholic Church and 
     hosts daily services for parishioners, weddings and 
     ceremonies for the community.
       The weekend's activities include a full slate of tributes 
     to the Spaniards, Native Americans and others who contributed 
     to the mission. A bronze statue of Father de Lasuen, donated 
     by the people of Vitoria, Spain, de Lausen's hometown, will 
     be dedicated in front of the mission Sunday at 3 p.m.
       A Native American blessing will be said at 10:30 a.m. 
     Saturday at the plaza. A roll call of the names of about 200 
     Mutsun Indians buried in the mission cemetery will be read.
       Sonne Reyna, a member of the San Juan American Indian 
     Intertribal Council, said the bicentennial is a time for 
     ``reconciliation'' between the Native American and mission 
     communities.
       ``We feel that the padre and the bicentennial committee 
     have been very sensitive and very supportive of what we as an 
     Intertribal Council want to do to honor the ancestors,'' 
     Reyna said.
       Members of the San Juan Indian Council and inter-tribal 
     delegation will be participating throughout the weekend's 
     events.
       A fiesta featuring a barbecue, raffle, games and music will 
     be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
       Events resume Tuesday when Bishop Sylvester Ryan will bless 
     a newly restored chapel, located in back of the current 
     church. The tiny chapel was built in 1797 but abandoned by 
     the church in favor of a larger facility.
       It was used as a schoolroom and a gift shop and then nearly 
     forgotten until restoration work began last year. After the 
     bicentennial celebration, the chapel will likely be opened 
     for regular use according to church officials.

     

                          ____________________