I’ve been to all 21 California Missions.  However, a few of the missions have “asistencias” or assistant missions.  These are less known and less traveled.  This week I visited one of these assistant missions in Pala, California on the Native American Reservation for the Tribe of Pala.

Not only is it restored as well as most other missions, and better than some, but it is still in active use and expanding. The newly completed casino along the main highway at the turnoff to the mission has generated revenue for the community and has brought more visitors to the mission. If you are interested in the mission story, this asistencia mission should be included in your travels. While I personally don't gamble, if you are inclined to gaming and want to combine a casino trip and a trip to a mission, Mission Pala is the solution.

Because of its isolated location and because Mission Pala is not well know, it was uncrowded and peaceful.

Mission San Antonio de Pala was established by Father Antonio Peyri, OFM, on June 13, 1816 as one of the "asistencia" (Extension or sub-mission) Missions to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. Three mission asistencias were built in the San Diego district. Mission Pala is still in active service and is the only Mission to have remained in continuous service as was originally established ministering a native population. Santa Ysabel, an asistencia to Mission San Diego, is available for viewing about 30 miles southeast. There was once a plan to build a second chain of missions, this one more inland, of which Mission Pala and Santa Ysabel were to be a part. This second plan failed to receive civil approval, so San Luis Rey established asistencia or sub-missions under the administration of the "Mother" mission. Las Flores and Pala were asistencias to San Luis Rey. Mission Pala is a day's horse back ride east of Mission San Luis Rey. Mission Pala was named in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, nicknamed, the "Wonderworker of the World." Three hundred miles north is another mission to Saint Anthony, Mission San Antonio de Padua.

In August of 1795, Father Juan Mariner of Mission San Diego, explored the back-country of San Diego County looking for a possible site for a new mission. Father Mariner recommended a site in the Pala Valley because of an abundance of water and his regard for the Indian population. Pala was selected for the site, but then it was decided to locate the mission closer to the coast, and thus, San Luis Rey de Francia was founded in its current location.

Mission San Luis Rey expanded its influence north and east, including the Pala Valley. Mission San Luis Rey's first record of construction at Rancho de Pala was in the annual report of 1810. This construction was a granary and other buildings soon followed. As Mission San Luis Rey began to flourish, Father Peyri felt it was necessity to establish an asistencia near Pala because it was the natural congregating place for a large native population. A chapel was built in 1816.

Within two short years, the quadrangle was complete, two granaries were built, and two apartments were built, one for men and boys and one for women and girls. By 1818, a small town had began. Father Peyri had an aqueduct built to supply water to the mission. By 1821, the mission only lacked a resident priest to make the asistencia a full mission. Mission Pala had reached its peak prosperity by 1827 when Father Peyri described Mission Pala, "At a distance of seven leagues toward the northeast, ... (San Luis Rey) has a station called San Antonio de Pala with a church, dwellings, and granaries and with a few fields where wheat, corn, beans, garbonzoes, and other leguminous plants are grown. There is also a vineyard and an orchard of various fruits and olives, for which there is sufficient irrigation..."

Secularization came to the asistencis in the mid 1830s and as at other missions, Pala began a decline. On August 22, 1835, Mission San Luis Rey and Mission San Antonio de Pala were turned over to Pio Pico and Pablo de la Portilla, two commissioners appointed by Governor Figueroa. Because of Pala's remote location, the Indians were able to maintain the chapel and grounds for a time, but eventually the condition of the Indians deteriorated and by 1840, their condition was described at "pitiable." Also in 1840, Pio Pico was relieved of his office as administer of San Luis Rey and its properties. He refused to relinquish possession of the missions which resulted in a violent opposition by the Indians. On May 18, 1846, fearing a United States conquest of California, Pio Pico sold Rancho de Pala and Mission San Luis Rey to Antonio J. Cot and Jose A. Pico. The U.S. government later ruled the sale null and void.

The Franciscans abandoned all the missions except Sant Barbara and they fell into disrepair and were stripped for building material. The priests and Indians managed to keep the chapel in repair throughout the remainder of the 1800s. The chapel and west wing of the quadrangle never suffered as much deterioration as at other missions and much of the original material remains. In September 1885, Reverend Jose Mut of Mission San Juan Capistrano visited Pala and recorded the spending $214.67 for repairs to Mission Pala. William Veal received a patent to the lands and buildings of Papa Asistencia which irritated the Indians. His Catholic wife persuaded im to give the chapel, two rooms, and the cemetery to the church.

On Christmas Day in 1899, an earthquake damaged the chapel which was repaired by the local residents with help from the Landmarks Club of Southern California. The Landmarks Club acquired the remaining land and buildings and returned the mission to the Catholic Church in 1902. In 1902, Congress bought 3500 acres of land to establish a permanent reservation. In 1903, the US Government relocated the Cupeños Indians from Warner Hot Springs to Pala. The two groups worked together to restore the mission. The mission now sits on the Pala Reservation. A flood damaged the campanile (bell tower) in 1916 when the adobe base was undermined which resulted in the collapse of the structure. The tower was quickly repaired in time for the centennial of the mission's original founding.

In 1948, The Sons of the Sacred Heart, also known as Verona Fathers, also referred to as The Camboni Fathers, assumed responsibility for Mission Pala. In 1954, Father Januarius Carillo began a restoration of the quadrangle. The restoration was completed n 1959. The restoration was declared the most faithful of the California missions. In May of 1991, the Mission was returned to the Diocese of San Diego. As of June 1996 the Barnabite Fathers are in charge of the Pala Mission. Termite damage to the chapel was repaired in 1992. In 1958, the Pala Mission School began under the direction of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and Sisters of the Precious Blood. Today the school is a Charter School of the Bonsall Union School District, no longer a Catholic School.

Mission Pala is unique in having the only free-standing bell tower or campanile. It is believed to be inspired by a tower in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The graceful curves of the tower contrast to the straight lines of the quadrangle. The tower is about 50 feet tall, including the 15 foot base and topped with a cross and a cactus. The larger (lower) of the two bells cast in Mexico is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, San Luis King, Saint Clara, and Saint Eulalia. The smaller (upper) bell is dedicated to Jesus and Mary. Mission Pala is know for being mission with a free-standing bell tower. The local people were proud of their campanile and kept it in good repair throughout the hard times. The original campanile was built on an adobe base which was undermined by a flood in 1916 and collapsed. It was quickly rebuilt on a stone and concrete base. Behind the bell tower is the "Old Luiseno Cemetery" where hundreds of Native Americans are buried.

Atop the Bell Tower is a cactus. The legend of the cactus says that Father Peyri climbed the tower in 1816 to place a cross atop it to indicate that the construction of the Mission was now complete. He then planted a tiny cactus at the foot of the cross to symbolize that Christ would conquer the desert, not only of Southern California, but also of the human heart and soul. Another story tells of a bird filled with joy at nesting so close to the cross, burst into song and dropped a cactus seed into the still soft adobe

The chapel measures 144 feet by 27 feet and is made of sun backed adobe brick, most are the original bricks. The floor is original but the roof has been replaced. The walls are covered with Indian art. The crucifix above the altar is of Bestardo wood from Michoacan, Mexico. The original artwork was covered by the restoration of 1903 but later restored by Indian artist Antonio Lugo. Some of the roof timbers are original and others are from the restoration of 1903. The timbers are from Palomar Mountasin, home to one of the most powerful telescopes in the world. Many of the roof tiles are original. Sometime in the mid-1900s, the wood altar, which had been damaged by termites, was replaced with a granite altar.