History

=History of Mission Santa Clara de Asis=

The Founding of the Mission
Mission Santa Clara de Asis was founded on January 12, 1777 and the founding priest was Father Presidente Junipero Serra. The Spanish name is La Mision Santa Clara de Asis and the English translation is The Mission of Saint Clare of Assisi. It is the first mission to be named after a woman named Clare of Assisi, the founder of the Poor Clares an order of nuns. It was the eighth mission out of 21 California missions. The Mission Santa Clara was built to teach the local Indians Christian religion.

Natural Disasters and Rebuilding the Mission
There were natural disasters that ruined the mission. First, in January 1779 there was a flood caused when the Guadalupe River overflowed. A new area was found to rebuild the mission, because of the flooding. Then, in 1818 there was an earthquake and the mission was ruined again. The padres decided to rebuild the mission out of wood, because there were no more resources like marble, and steel. The flood washed away these materials. Next, in 1825 the mission was built a third time. Finally, in 1926 there was a fire and the mission was rebuilt a fourth and final time.

The Mission Today
Today, the Mission Santa Clara is part of a college called Santa Clara University. The church is used for the university and has a museum for visitors. The mission is located at 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California 95053.