Project Updates
St. Anthony and the Christ Child
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
April 2026
The calendar says that Spring has just arrived in the past few weeks, but the poppies, daffodils, wild lilacs and irises in the Mission garden beg to differ. They've been in bloom for months already and are preparing themselves for Summer.
The early warm, sunny weather brought not only wild flowers, but also hundreds of visitors to the Mission already this year. This is good news. The goal of the seismic retrofit/restoration was to enhance safety and comfort for future generations of visitors and guests to our beloved historic Mission.
Together, we have saved the Mission, specifically to share it. Like anything that is shared by many, however, daily wear and tear takes a toll. In the beginning of the year, we needed to replace a commercial washer for our retreat center. The Mission can accommodate sixty-five people per night and that equates to a lot of laundry!
Our aging dryers are also on their way out; two new commercial dryers, donated by FHSAM (Friends of Historic San Antonio Mission), are currently on their way to their new home in the Mission laundry room.
A beautiful life-size bronze of St. Anthony (our Patron Saint) and the Christ Child has been installed in the Mission garden. This exquisite, one-of-a-kind sculpture was created by renowned artist Steven Whyte of Steven Whyte Studios in Carmel, California. Steven's work resides in the permanent collections of two Smithsonian Institute Museums. He has been honored as the 2022 'Champion of the Arts' by the Monterey County Arts Council, and is an Elected Fellow of The National Sculpture Society. He was the 2021 winner of the Stanley Bleifeld Memorial Award for an outstanding body of work. Steven was the 2016 Sports Artist of the Year, Sculptor, The United States Academy of Sports and The American Sport Art Museum & Archives. It has been our honor to work with Steven on this important project.
The statue was donated by Al Wagner, in memory of his beloved wife, Ann Christine Nicol Wagner, who passed away on June 29, 2023. Ann was a native of Capitol, CA, a town she loved dearly. Her family and friends remember her ability and eagerness to strike up a friendly conversation with anyone and everyone she met. She also held a deep love of horses, and her participation within the equine community brought her countless friendships and treasured memories.
When Al first approached me several years ago with a request to donate a statue for the Mission garden, in Ann's memory, my initial response was, "Thank you, but no." My reason was that we worked very hard during the retrofit to restore and renovate the garden to be a place of welcome, peace, and serenity, within a very natural setting. A formal statue would alter the atmosphere of the garden. Albert persisted. Eventually, after much thought and prayer, I told Al we would accept a statue, with a few conditions. It would have to be a life-size bronze of our patron saint, St. Anthony. It couldn't be just a standard statue, however. St. Anthony had to be sitting on a bench with a "toddler" Christ Child in his lap. Anthony needed to be smiling and the baby Jesus had to be laughing. It would have to be a custom statue as we had not seen any rendition that matched the image in my imagination.
After considering my conditions and agreeing to them, Al and I began scouring the internet and the local area to find a sculptor who'd be up for the challenge. Al found Steven Whyte in his Carmel Studio. Steven met with us in the Mission garden to discuss our vision. Steven said he was excited to be able to work on a very personal, human version of this saint who is deeply loved around the world. We are very honored that he comprehended the concept and was so enthusiastic to make it come to life!
Al and his beautiful family were present at the Mission's Easter Mass on April 5, 2026, after which, Fr. Victor Ozoufuanya blessed the statue.
Sean Steele, Owner and Woodsmith of 805 Custom Woodworks, once again worked his magic and created a wonderful old-growth redwood bench worthy to seat St. Anthony and the Christ Child. Now, visitors to Mission San Antonio can sit-a-spell and have-a-chat with Anthony and Jesus.
This is the first of what we hope will be several Saints we will add to our meditative, soulful, healing garden space.
Life happens . . . even at Mission San Antonio . . .
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
November 2025
Life happens. We discuss . . . we plan . . . we prepare. If we are fortunate, we are able to execute our projects and achieve success. The undercurrent that continues, without fail, is the progression of time and the marching on of life . . . with all its exciting gifts and challenges. Life at Mission San Antonio is no different.
In June of 2024, we employed Archeophysics LLC to conduct geophysical surveys of specific areas of the Mission property. The first of these areas was the location of the historic Mission's Mayordomo's house built in 1823. This building was long gone, and its foundations were partially covered over by the later building of the 1935 structure that served as a sort of construction office/caretaker area during the 1948 reconstruction of the Mission. The newer building was removed in the past few years, with permits from Monterey County Housing and Historic offices, to enable accurate scans of the much older foundations beneath the ground level. While this area had been lightly excavated in the 1930's by the Franciscans, this time, with much improved technology, we were able to get a clear look at the foundations. The surveys revealed not only the mayordomo house structure, but also the walls that connected from the back of the building, west, to the cemetery walls. It is thought that these walls created yards for either small animals or areas for the storage of farming tools, etc.
We also employed the services of the K9 Forensic Institute who returned to the Mission again to survey the area around the mayordomo house in search of any potential burial sites. This was a precautionary action to confirm the site was clear for eventual excavation. The dogs found no burials in this area.
While it was initially our intention to excavate and expose the building foundations for educational purposes, the findings propelled us to reassess our plans. Ground penetrating radar scans showed that a good portion of the foundations are now a foot or so below ground level. Excavation would create an area for water to collect and cause irreparable damage to the foundations. It was decided, after informed discussions between the geophysicist, archeologist, and the project team, that we would document the discoveries and to create an information sheet for visitors, available through the Mission Gift Shop, but not excavate. The area is now marked by signage. Not excavating allows us to continue to protect the historic foundations, while still sharing the information, gleaned by the surveys, with the public.
The next area surveyed was the eight acres of the original Mission vineyard. Our goal for these geophysical surveys was to document the historic irrigation system used in the vineyard. This is critical information and this Mission is uniquely positioned to document the information since the ground has remained relatively undisturbed since the Mission era. No other Mission can claim this factor.
The Archeophysic LLC team began their ground surveys, all done above-ground and non-invasive. During their second week of work, we had the dogs and their handlers from the K9 Forensic Institute survey the vineyard area. Within the first few hours, the dogs had three hits – potential human remains. These were the only areas they found in their survey. Now, what to do about that information . . . it is always our intention to leave burials undisturbed. The Institute was employed to ascertain if there were any potential areas in the vineyard that could possibly contain human remains. Are they Salinan? We will never know because we will never excavate the area, nor conduct DNA testing. There are many possibilities for remains out in that field. It could indicate a prehistoric Salinan burial. It could also be a burial that took place during the colonial era, like the burials that were discovered near the church during the 1948 restoration of the Mission. There are several more known colonial burials on FHL property and at St. Luke's church at Jolon Road. There are also possibilities that it involves a much more recent burial (or lack of such). Just in the few decades that I have been at the Mission, multiple people have brought cremains to the Mission grounds and either dumped them on the ground or buried them (without permission) and then told us about it. We will never know. The goal of the survey was to identify potential areas to avoid in any future disturbances; that is what we will do with these three areas.
We were fortunate that the ground penetrating radar was able to identify and reveal to us the main irrigation ditches into the vineyard, as well as secondary irrigation, all using gravity feed. We were also able to identify the drainage lines from the vineyard. All of this information is being correlated into a new 3-D, to-scale, model for the museum, with accompanying informational brochures.
We continue to learn from the past. We have dismissed any plans to reestablish the vineyard at this time. The information we learned was very valuable and we will integrate it into our historic interpretation of the Mission era.
And as I said, life continues to happen . . .
In the past few months we have dealt with water main breaks, the demise of our industrial washing machine (yes, we do all the retreat center laundry onsite!), hot water heater issues, power surges frying areas of our electrical infrastructure, the expiration of our commercial freezer, etc. Just life at the Mission. It is a very large facility, serving thousands of retreat guests and visitors. There is never a dull moment.
We recently lost a very dear friend, Pete Vachek. Pete completed all the restorative painting within the Mission following our seismic retrofit. For five years he tirelessly restored the quiet beauty to this historic site. Pete had a heart of gold, an immense sense of compassion and generosity for others, and an impressive creative talent. We will deeply miss him, but his creative spirit lives on and continues to speak to us through its expression on the very walls of this Mission. Life goes on . . . Siempre Adelante! . . . Always forward . . .
Life Moves on . . . so "Why is the Mission Still Asking for Money?"
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
April 2025
This year Mission San Antonio celebrates its 254th Anniversary, of its founding on July 14, 1771.. If these old walls could talk . . . the stories they could tell. Stories of people and cultures coming into contact with one another. Stories of exploration, learning, sharing, and growing. Remembrances of christenings, first communions, confirmations, marriages, reconciliations, anointing of the sick, funerals . . . the celebrations of life! Memories of hard times and great times . . . the text of lives lived throughout history, in the gentle Valley of the Oaks.
This special Mission was built, adobe brick by adobe brick. Through the valiant efforts of the entire Mission Community (both here and throughout all fifty of the United States), Mission San Antonio was also saved, adobe brick by adobe brick. It took every single precious donation dollar, from 2014 to 2022, to complete the mandated seismic retrofit. For eight long years we toiled together to complete a monumental goal, costing $12.4 million dollars. Each and every donation was critically needed and thoroughly appreciated as all of us worked together to save this historic California treasure. Bravo to all who participated!
Time passes. Whether agonizingly slow when we're in agony, or at breath-taking speed when we're exhilarated by life, time does not stop. Life moves on.
Experts in the medical field tell us repeatedly that we must make the effort, we must take the time to slow down and process the seasons we are going through on our life's journey. Saying that comes easy; doing it doesn't come as easily.
We live in a world where almost everything is instantaneous. Want groceries? Want dinner? Want the newest phone, car, house? There's an app for that. In our ever-increasing, fast-paced world, it is more and more difficult to find places of calm, peace, safety, and quiet. Places where our hearts, minds, and souls can rest, restore, and rejuvenate.
Mission San Antonio de Padua offers such a place. This special Mission still extends an invitation of respite and refuge from a chaotic world.
Time does march on. It does not wait for permission. As it advances, life experiences the wear and tear of time. We age. Our belongings age too. Even our buildings and monuments suffer from the progression of time. Wind, rain, sun, and even human interaction leave their mark on our historic site. Adobe buildings, especially, require continual maintenance to retain their integrity and stability. Just ask the ground squirrels here how easily they can cause damage to buildings made of mud!
The mission statement of the Campaign for the Preservation of Mission San Antonio de Padua, a 501 C-3 non-profit is as follows: "The purpose of this Corporation is to solicit and accept funds for the purposes of the conservation, restoration, and preservation of the historic Mission San Antonio de Padua, located in Jolon, CA." The seismic portion of this goal has been met and completed. The work of conservation, restoration, and preservation of the Mission and its numerous historic sites and artifacts is on-going.
We have many 18th century paintings awaiting restoration. We have outlying buildings (like the gristmill), and historic elements (threshing floor, aqueduct, millpond, etc.) that need conservation efforts to preserve their historic fabric and footprint on-site. The adobe building itself needs annual maintenance to combat the constant onslaught of weather and rodent damage. These are items that the Campaign Board has acknowledged responsibility for in perpetuity. This is why the Campaign is still asking for monetary donations.
We are very proud of the enormous amount of work that has been accomplished, due to the generous donations of thousands of people. This truly has proven to be the "People's Mission". Keeping the Mission and its grounds open to the public requires that we continue to collect donations from people who understand the critical nature of restoration, conservation and preservation.
Sometimes donors ask me why the Mission Parish can't pay for all this work. The answer is simple. The Parish family is extremely small (less than 25 families, almost all comprised of elderly couples on fixed incomes). The Parish is responsible for the running of the Mission Gift Store, Museum, and Retreat Center. The money raised from these revenue streams funds the daily operating budget for the Mission. While the parish pays for all daily maintenance and repairs, it does not have enough money to fund the large annual maintenance projects, like ongoing adobe, paint, etc. and the continuing restoration and preservation of the rest of the historic elements and artifacts on site. If we are lax in our efforts to maintain the high quality of the work that has been completed, time and life will extract a costly toll on the fabric of the Mission . . . and all our efforts will be for naught. It is our responsibility, at this time in history, for us to rise to the occasion. We must be the very best stewards of this historic jewel, preserving a unique and special place and passing it on to future generations, intact and amazing!
We as a Board promise to continue to value your donations and to responsibly utilize your dollars, maximizing the positive result to the Mission's ongoing restoration, conservation and preservation work.
Please come and visit us and see for yourself how special this Mission truly is. Come feel the atmosphere of welcome and feel the calm, natural beauty. Encounter the past through a Mission experience that will teach your mind and touch your soul.
The Bounty of the Harvest and Continued Investment in Our Legacy
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
November 2024
Fall is flirting with us. A few cool nights and we're excited to welcome a change in seasons, only to once again be baked by triple-digit daytime temperatures. Welcome to Fall in Central California! We know the routine; we repeat it every year.
We used the extended daylight of Spring and Summer to get a wide variety of projects completed at the Mission. Maintenance on the retrofit/restoration work is an ongoing process, critical to maintaining the best possible condition of the buildings and facilities.
Chris Ingram Lath and Plaster's team performed annual maintenance and repair on the adobe exterior. The crew from Sam's Tree Service completed an extensive project of trimming over fifty trees on the property. The focus of their work was safety for our visitors and maintaining healthy trees. Our quadrangle garden enjoyed a timely facelift, replenishing the cedar bark mulch and trimming the wide variety of native plants which now call this area home. Madrone Landscapes performed this critical work.
We welcomed back to the church a beautiful historic painting of St. Christopher, gone for almost a year, lovingly restored by South Coast Fine Arts Conservation Studios. A magnificent painting of St. James was also repaired, restored, and returned to the Mission. This painting had been donated to the Mission a few years ago after suffering a long and perilous journey through several countries, mistreatment, and even surviving a house fire. It is a lovely painting that, once framed, will find a home in the Mission's Gallery Room.
For three full weeks in May/June, 2024, we engaged a Geophysicist, an Archeologist and their IT Team from Archaeo-Physics, LLC, to conduct magnetic soil resistance surveys and ground-penetrating radar to document the historic use of the Mission grounds (specifically the original 8-acre vineyard area and its historic irrigation system). Mission San Antonio is unique in its ability to do this type of documentation, as we have never had a town grow up around us, nor has agriculture altered the historic underground landscape. We are awaiting the final report on this research. The results will help dictate the direction we take with the idea of possibly restoring a Mission vineyard on the property. We celebrate the bounty of 2024 and the amazing amount of work that was completed, all thanks to your generous donations. As our Project Chairman, Brian Kelly, replied when I asked him, "Are you happy with how the retrofit/restoration project turned out?"; he said, "The Mission finally looks loved." What a wonderful response. It is our combined love for the Mission that made that statement possible!
As we approach the end of 2024, we are turning our focus to several areas. Since the main source of income to fund the Mission's daily operating budget stems from our Retreat Center, we are focusing on hospitality upgrades (new linens, pillows, beds, towels, etc.) to further enhance the comfort for our guests. We are upgrading the retreat furniture (desks and banquet tables) with custom pieces from 805 Custom Woodworks.
We are planning future additions of more custom benches in the quadrangle garden, offering more areas for people to enjoy the peacefulness of the Mission, whether on a day-visit, or an overnight stay. We are also considering consignment of a few bronze statues for the garden area, and perhaps an additional painting for the museum.
Our plans to restore the pavilion and fiesta grounds are temporarily on hold; we will need to raise a half to three-quarters of a million dollars to complete this work. As always, we have dozens of historic paintings that need repair and restoration before they can once again be displayed. We work on them as money becomes available.
We now have a full three years of experience and data recorded, since the official completion in 2021 of our seismic retrofit and restoration. This information affords us a firm handle on the dollar amount necessary to address our annual maintenance issues. It takes approximately $250,000/year to keep this Mission and its facilities in optimal condition. If, and when, we decide to move forward on a particular project (i.e. the Pavilion and Fiesta Grounds restoration), we will let you know and will fundraise directly to address those projects. It is our goal, at this point – year end of 2024, to raise the $250,000 we will need for maintenance issues in 2025. It takes a lot of money to maintain a Mission that is now 253 years old! It is our responsibility, at this time in history, to care for this historic, beloved Mission. Why? Because we want to be able to share it with our children, our grandchildren, and even their grandchildren. In a world that is often spinning out of control, we NEED places like the Mission. Places that offer the peace, serenity, grounding, and rejuvenation for our souls.
Looking back on 2024 I am prompted to think of this place, not as much as a Mission, but as an Ark! During the rainy season, last January/February, we had three separate instances where three individual squirrels decided to burrow directly through the four-foot walls to get into the church building and get out of the weather! That required some serious adobe maintenance and repair! Then a wonderful hive of bees, while flying by on their journey, decided to stop at the Mission for a Spring retreat . . . and stay! We thought we were good after the beekeepers came and took the hive and their queen away (to a ranch in Paso Robles), until the few bees that remained raised another queen and started another hive. This was, of course, in the highest point of the church attic. Another round of bee removal and then a very expensive structural repair to bar further retreats of this nature. While they were here, the bees did what bees do best. They made a lot of honey. This prompted the resident mother raccoon and her two full grown children (yes, they still live with her!) to go to the top of the church roof and tear the Spanish clay tiles off and break them, in an attempt to reach the honey. The repair for this damage was also expensive. Momma Raccoon and her kids have now repeated their new "game" at four other areas of the roof where we don't even have the excuse of potential honey. When I make a list of all the creatures who share this site with us and who are always trying to get inside, I definitely believe that we've become Ark San Antonio.
I hope that this gives you an accurate picture of what we've accomplished this year and where our focus will be for 2025. Everything we do is designed to enrich our visitors' and guests' Mission experience.
Your continued interest and support are much appreciated. It is our hope that you will be able to help us reach our maintenance goal of $250,000 for next year's work. A year-end gift would be sincerely appreciated! If you can pledge a yearly donation for the next five years, at this time, that would help us tremendously in responsibly budgeting the critical annual maintenance plan. All donations, regardless of size, are needed and valued. We can't do this without your help! Together, the Mission San Antonio Community is building a legacy of history, educational experience, purpose, faith, and community. Please join with us in this process.
If at all possible, come see the improvements for yourselves. We would love to share the Mission with you. Please, however, do not climb to the top of the roof and rip off any more of our clay tiles!
Have a wonderful, wonder-filled Holiday Season!
Mission "Minutes" . . . What Have We Been Up To?
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
April 2024
When you hear the California Missions mentioned in conversation, what comes to mind? Do you visualize old Spanish architecture amid the hustle and bustle of modern life and buildings? Many of California's twenty-one Missions do, indeed, exist literally within the city that has grown up around them in the past two-and-a-half centuries. Do you think, "old fashion buildings, old fashion ideas, museum with outdated ideas?"
Mission San Antonio strives to be different . . . to authentically honor our past, successfully serve the community in the present, and strive to embrace a collaborative, inclusive future.
It doesn't make any sense to save historic buildings unless they can continue to serve the present-day community. At Mission San Antonio we offer a beautiful museum with well-displayed artifacts, enhanced by educational diagrams and models of notable elements found on the Mission grounds. Available walking tour, artwork restoration, Mission water system, and native plants brochures further enhance your Mission visit.
Spring brought not only plenty of water to our Central Coast, but also allowed for a flurry of activity at the Mission.
The wonderful quadrangle garden, honoring the native Salinan People, enjoyed a much-needed refreshment! The hard-working crew from Madrone Landscaping was back for several weeks to help prune the native plants and add new cedar mulch. With the donor tree (our iron oak created by Max Randolph of Max Randolph Studios) as part of the landscape, the garden has both a refreshed and timeless atmosphere. Retreat guests love spending time in the garden, enjoying peace and serenity in a beautiful natural setting!
Our retreat center is very, very busy! That's definitely a good thing to report, since the daily operating budget of the Mission relies heavily upon the funds generated from our retreat center. Whether you want to come by yourself, or with an entire group (up to 65 people), you'll need to email the Mission ahead of time to ensure a reservation. (office@missionsanantonio.net)
While the garden restoration was wrapping up, the crew from Sams Tree 805 was on-site for approximately three weeks performing an excellent job of tree maintenance. This work is not only critical to the health of our trees, but is equally critical to the safety of our visitors and guests.
The plans to restore the pavilion have currently been put on hold, due to the failure to raise enough new cash reserves by the end of 2023. We will continue to pursue funding for this important project that would provide both meeting and classroom space for future community events and retreats as well as archeological field schools.
The warming breezes of Spring also enabled the adept team from Chris Ingram Lath and Plaster to return to the Mission for plaster repair and maintenance. For an adobe Mission to remain in optimal condition, this work must be attended to in an on-going manner. As you know, it is much more cost-effective to maintain a building than it is to have to attend to major repairs when you neglect it.
By the time you are reading this newsletter, we will have conducted the surveys necessary for the mayordomo house and original vineyard areas. These surveys include magnetic soil and ground-penetrating radar surveys. The possible investigation and documentation of this data is unique to Mission San Antonio, since we have eighty-six acres of relatively untouched, underground historic landscape. We will also be employing the services of the Institute of Canine Forensics to ensure that there are no ancient burials in the vineyard and mayordomo house areas. You may remember that we used the services of this firm several years ago to confirm that there were no burials outside the cemetery walls. All of this information will help us to better understand and accurately interpret our unique Mission history.
Please continue to stand with us as we move into the Mission's future! It has been the collaborative effort of many, many people from across all fifty states that allowed us to complete the mandated seismic retrofit. We still need all of you to continue on in our mission to remain open to the public, enabled and empowered to continue to offer a meaningful, educational, spiritually nourishing Mission experience to future generations. I often like to remind visitors while I am giving them a tour, that "the Mission was built one brick at a time, and it will continue to be saved the same way! Every donation matters!
Won't you please send your donation today to help save another "brick?" Thank you for your generosity and support!
Seasons and Sight
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
October 2023
Shorter days and crisper nights . . . the change of seasons is upon us. The long, hot days of summer are waning and the time of harvest is once again here. We are prompted to review our summer achievements. What did we accomplish during those long hot summer days?
Here at the Mission, we did a LOT of clean up and maintenance! It takes an enormous amount of work to maintain a well-loved and cared for Mission. Eighty-six acres in constant need of attention! We mowed acres and acres . . . we weeded (70 fifty-five-gallon barrels from the quadrangle garden alone) . . . we repaired plumbing and electrical . . . we pumped sewage . . . reworked gravel roads . . . replaced aging security cameras, etc. We took down the small building located to the southwest of the Mission; thereby removing an unsafe liability and providing access to a much more historic foundation, of the original mayordomo's house from the 1800's, located beneath. Future archeological work in this area will reveal the expanse of that significant structure, and aid in the accurate historic interpretation of the site.
By the time this copy reaches print, we will have completed installation of our Donor Tree in the mission garden. Max Randolph has expertly captured the essence of the Valley of the Oaks in his beautiful creation, honoring those individuals who donated $5,000 or more to our Retrofit/Restoration project during the years of 2014 to 2021, honoring this beautiful valley, and the Salinan People upon whose homeland the Mission was founded.
So much has been accomplished! So many people came together to complete what some thought was impossible!
It takes vision to achieve the impossible!
Helen Keller once said, "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision."
What is the vision for the continuation of Mission San Antonio?
For the Mission to survive . . . for the Mission to be relevant to future generations, it must do more than pay homage to the past. It must maintain a vibrant community connection. Mission San Antonio is distinctive in many ways, but in two special ways it can offer on-going community relationships.
The first is through its retreat center. Mission San Antonio offers a very unique, sacred, retreat space. Available by reservation, the Mission provides a place of quiet, rest, relaxation . . . to individuals and groups looking for a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday, modern life. It delivers a safe place to slow down, reflect, and revitalize our lives.
To this end, we are turning our attention to two other areas of the Mission property for restoration.
The first is an area located to the north of the Mission, commonly known as the fiesta grounds. This area sits adjacent to Mission Creek and has been home to the Mission's Annual Fiesta for the past 65+ years. The pavilion needs a new roof and the rest of the building needs a remodel. Plans to provide classroom space will make this area more conducive to educational groups and archeological field schools. The trees in the fiesta grounds require some much-needed attention. We plan to address some civil work in this area to make the grounds more usable and accessible. In past years, this area has been used by Boy and Girl Scouts, Family 2 Family (foster care programs), Fifth-grade Science Camps, Diocesan Youth Day, Army Unit BBQs, and much more. This is a great space to demonstrate our vision for the future.
Another area where we are envisioning future community interaction potential is located in the southwest portion of our property . . . the location of the Mission's original vineyard. We are just getting started on the investigation and documentation of this historic area. It is our intention to have magnetic soil surveys and ground-penetrating radar surveys conducted to document the original planting and irrigation design of what may be the first vineyard on the central coast of California. Once again, this Mission is unique in that it still has this historic area available and undisturbed, enabling scanning and documentation. Since we still have original grape stock on site, when we are ready to replant portions of the vineyard, we will ensure maintenance of our historic integrity by using cuttings from this stock to repopulate the vineyard. This restoration project promises to be another multi-year project. It will involve multiple University schools (Archeological, Architectural, Agricultural, Viticultural, and Technological) . . . and numerous students for many, many years to come. They will be able to study here in this beautiful, natural, and historic setting.
As the seasons change and the sun sets earlier, we find that we need to turn on lights to see. We don't, however, light up the whole world around us, like daytime. We light up the things we want to focus on. As Fall approaches, and our work outside needs to conclude earlier in the day, we are reminded that we need to choose what to focus our light upon. The same applies to the Mission's future. We need to focus our light, our sight, on areas of restoration that will ensure that we remain vibrant and relevant to our greater community.
The mandated work of the seismic retrofit is complete. Now we turn our vision to our future. We set our sights on the work that needs to be done to enable us to offer valuable interactive experiences for future visitors and guests . . . our new friends and future supporters! Please continue to support our shared vision!
"Use Your Words" and "Your Pen"
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
January 2023
"Use Your Words" we tell children. Express your feelings with your words. Good advice. Sometimes as adults, we need to remind ourselves to "use our words".
When we started our mandated seismic retrofit in August of 2014, everyone was eager to talk about the project. "What would we have to do? How would we do it? Who would be the experts we would hire to do it? How would we pay for it?" And always, the ever-present, often repeated question, "When will it be done?"
The project began with a lot of energy, interest and enthusiasm. In spite of our warnings that it would be a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project, attention to the project waned a bit as the years dragged on. A full eight years later, we completed the momentous project! This was done, expressly because of your support! Great job! You each deserve a pat on the back and a hearty, "Thank you!"
The Campaign to Preserve Mission San Antonio de Padua, however, is not to be relegated to the history books. The Campaign continues! Restoration, and preservation, are ongoing operations.
Mission San Antonio is uniquely blessed with its pristine historic setting. With eighty-six acres of undeveloped land surrounding the Spanish-Colonial-style Mission, we have an ethical obligation to document the entirety of our historic site for posterity.
Throughout the past two years, we have stabilized and applied a protective layer of limewash to our lavandaria and threshing floor walls. This helps protect the walls from erosion (both weather and people related) and helps them to stand out in the landscape to aid visitors in locating them. Other historic outbuilding ruins onsite are also receiving this protective application as funds are made available.
As we begin our journey through 2023, we can already see the need for maintenance and some restoration on the adobe walls of the church and adjacent quadrangle buildings. Remember, our historic buildings are made of mud! The protective limewash layer needs to be continually monitored and restored as the elements wear away at it. For decades prior to our Retrofit project, the walls were not maintained consistently and we can all remember the condition of the Mission when our project began in 2014. Let's not repeat history. When Spring arrives at the Mission, and as warmer, drier weather allows, we will reengage with the Ingram Lath and Plaster Team to resume the maintenance and restoration of our external walls.
Throughout the Fall and Winter months of 2022, we have been working with the Diocese and Monterey County to get the proper permission and permits to remove the small construction office building (often called the casita) from its southwest position in front of the Mission. This building was erected many years ago and has become unusable. Part of the building was built upon the historic mayordomo's house (the Mission foreman in the 1800's). With its removal we will be able to better document the historic landscape that lies beneath the ground at this spot. Stay tuned for more details as this project unfolds.
While we were proceeding with the seismic retrofit, we were also installing upgrades to our electrical, plumbing, fire and security systems. We are now maintaining these new systems with annual inspections and adjustments/repairs as needed. This costs money. It is much more efficient and responsible to inspect and maintain on an annual basis than to have to face major repairs down the road from lack of maintenance.
The California State mandated work is completed – we can now move on to significant projects that will activate and ensure increased future community/educational interaction with the Mission.
One of the projects that needs to be addressed is the restoration/remodel of the pavilion and the entire fiesta grounds area of the Mission property. Located to the north of the Mission, this area was originally developed for Mission events. The Mission Fiesta (always the second Sunday of June) historically has taken place in this area. Once again, it is an area that has received little attention or maintenance for decades. Due to water damage, the pavilion now needs a new roof and a great deal of internal repair. With the potential future use by California University students in mind, the pavilion interior could be remodeled from a simple storage area to classroom and laboratory space. When completed, this project will enable us to resume Archeological Field Schools at the Mission, a critical source of funding. The electrical, fire detections and security systems also need to be reviewed and upgraded for this area.
The remainder of the fiesta grounds area also needs some tender loving care. The trees require professional maintenance and the area needs restoration/renovation to continue ensuring the safety of the accommodations for future use by Diocesan, Educational, and other non-profit groups.
In addition to this major project, we are investigating the possibility of the future reestablishment of the Mission vineyard (historically located in the southwest field of the property). Once again, this will be a multi-year, multi-phase undertaking.
Before we can even think about grafting our original grape stock in preparation of replanting the vineyard, we need to go through many phases of documentation. To begin, we need to conduct a land survey of the original vineyard site (approximately 7.5 to 10 acres). We additionally plan to conduct a magnetic survey, which will document the historic use of the land. We will engage forensic dogs to ensure there are no burials in this area, perhaps predating the Mission era. Having successfully used companies in these professions in prior years, we already have good relationships with people who can handle these projects with professional and ethical expertise.
An archeological survey will need to be conducted to expose the historic foundations of the original vineyard adobe walls. In conjunction with local university architecture students, we could rebuild the 8-ft. high adobe walls, to protect the vines. Game fencing is prohibited here due to our historic site status. When we reach this point in the project, we will have the opportunity to work with local agriculture students in preparing the ground to receive the new grape stock. University viticulture students will plant and work the vineyard, undergoing both current-day and living-history experiences.
Yes, the seismic retrofit/restoration work is complete, but the restoration and preservation work will keep us busy for generations!
How can you help us? Please "use your words!" Continue to tell people about the Mission. Tell the stories that you have about your Mission experiences. If you don't have any, come see us and enjoy all that we have to offer. Then you, too, can share the stories that bring others to see for themselves. I know you love the Mission. I know because you have already shared your time, talent and treasure helping save this precious Mission. That's how we were able to complete the tremendous amount of work that needed to be done over the past eight years. We had many naysayers who didn't think it could be done. We have proved them wrong.
So now I come to you and ask you to "Use your words" and spread the word about the exciting new work that we are embarking on. I will, of course, also ask you to "Use your pen" as well. Write in your facebook updates, your blogs, your old-fashioned letters (remember those?) and tell your stories, tell our story, and tell of our continued need for funds. Then, take out your checkbook and "Use your pen" to send a much-appreciated donation our way.
Siempre Adalante … Always forward … never back! We can't move forward without you! Please "Use Your Words and Use Your Pen!" Thank you.
Stories or Stuff? What Will Your Legacy Be Made Of?
October 2022
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
We all want to live our lives well. We want to love and be loved. Deep down, we want to be accepted for who we are and remembered after we are gone. We want our lives to matter.
Each and every day offers us a multitude of opportunities to do, say or act in ways that will affect how we are thought of and remembered.
We treat each other kindly, with respect and compassion. We help those who are in need of our assistance. We sponsor ideals, activities and organizations that articulate our goals and convictions. We "put our money where our mouth is" in support of events and places that are significant and bigger than ourselves. Places that matter . . . to us . . . and we hope to those who follow after us.
We know that you understand all of this. It is why you are reading this article about the Preservation of Mission San Antonio de Padua. Most likely, you have been one of the integral people who have donated to our Campaign over the past eight years, enabling us to complete the seismic retrofitting of the Mission and to continue on with the restoration and preservation of the facilities and historic artifacts.
Mission San Antonio stands today, 251 years after its founding in July of 1771, as a place of peace, serenity, rejuvenation and hope. In a world that tends toward frantic activity and constant stimulation, we need places where we can take a step back, take a deep breath, stop running around, and just be. Mission San Antonio continues to offer this enriching environment daily, to visitors from all over the globe and both individual and group retreat guests. The Mission also stands as an important historic element from California's early years, before it was a state, before this was part of the United States.
Your legacy is written every single day, with every moment of your life. You will be remembered by future visitors to the Mission as one of the people who made it possible for the Mission to remain open to the public due to your generous donations. We need to remember, though, that the Mission is made of adobe . . . bricks made of mud, clay and straw . . . and it needs consistent care and maintenance.
Imagine this – You move to a new town and purchase a fixer upper for your family. You are excited and motivated by your new home's potential. You work on the repairs and the maintenance year after year. Finally, you have a beautiful home.
You live in your home for several years, enjoying both its beauty and its functionality. When it begins to look a bit weathered from the effects of the elements, and infrastructure systems begin to have issues, you ignore them. "I'm tired of working on it," you tell yourself, "I've already spent enough time and money on this place."
Meanwhile your next-door neighbor is always doing odd jobs around his house. Saturday mornings you wake to find him hammering away at a loose shutter or fixing the front steps. Just last week he was replacing his cracked sidewalk and painting his home's exterior. You get tired just watching him.
When the storms of winter arrive in late December, you're awakened in the middle of the night by the loud flapping of loose roofing shingles and you have to scramble to the kitchen for pots and pans to catch the rain that's falling inside your house! Morning dawns and you're able to locate a roofer, only to be devasted by the cost estimate he gives you for the repairs. "I don't have that kind of money! I guess we'll just tarp the roof when it rains," you tell your family.
By spring you've experienced lots more bad surprises. The water that has been leaking into the attic has gotten into your heating and cooling systems. They have rusted and shorted out. Now, with the summer heat looming ahead of you, you realize that you will not be able to repair the cooling system.
That exasperating next-door neighbor is still waking you up on Saturday mornings. He's still working on all his small jobs around the house; jobs that keep his home well maintained and in good repair. You always did find him annoying, didn't you?
Now, let's step outside the story and ask ourselves, "Which homeowner made a difference in his situation?"
The answer, of course, is both. One made a difference by his action, the other by his inaction.
The home in this story is our own Mission San Antonio de Padua. We inherited a fixer-upper. We were then mandated by the State of California to seismically retrofit the Mission or face being closed to the public. In August, 2014, we enthusiastically began the physical hard cost work of this project. To maximize our dollars, provided by generous donations, from both private and foundation sources and generous grants, we completed the seismic retrofit and then repaired and upgraded the infrastructure, while we had the "roof off".
Eight long years later we can now enjoy the fruits of our very hard labor. We cannot, however, sit down and decide that we are done.
We do not live in a vacuum. Time does not stand still. The elements of nature and even just the daily use of our facilities continually wear and tear at the remarkable work that has been completed. We can't sit down and ignore the continual preventative maintenance that will keep our facilities in their utmost condition.
Maintenance deferred most often becomes much, much more expensive down the road. We've learned this the hard way. Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past. We need to move forward. We need to address our maintenance issues in a consistent and timely manner. We need funds to do that.
We need to acknowledge the necessity of sustained maintenance and repairs. We need to establish a fifty-year maintenance schedule and then raise the funds that will enable us to implement it. To do anything less would be irresponsible.
It is our responsibility, as the current stewards of the Mission, to procure these funds. The very conservative estimate is $9 million dollars will be needed for maintenance over the next fifty years. We owe it to each and every donor who collectively contributed the $12.4 million dollars we've invested thus far in this historic fixer upper.
What will be our legacy? Saving the Mission was always about more than just saving the buildings. Will you help write the next chapter of our story? Stay connected, stay informed, and stay the course. The vines that connect these Mission communities need care and nurturing. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Won't you join us with us in caring for the place of so many heartfelt stories?
We are asking you to continue to support the ongoing restoration and preservation work at MSA. There are many ways you can show your support. One way is to give a one-time donation. You could opt to give on a schedule of your choosing (monthly, bi-annually or annually). Some of you may choose to remember the Mission with a bequest upon your passing. As you consider your own legacy, please also reflect on your own experience of Mission San Antonio. Share your own Mission adventures with us and with your friends and family. If you are so led, send us a few stories we could share in our newsletter.
It's the stories of our lives, not the stuff, that best paints a picture of who we are and who and what we love. Please take a moment and ask yourself, "Do I want to help make sure that Mission San Antonio remains open to those people who need a respite from the struggles and challenges of this world? Am I willing to participate? Will I play a critical role in ensuring its historic story continues to beckon to a modern world . . . offering peace, serenity, healing and hope?
The purpose, the mission, of Mission San Antonio de Padua is not complete. St. Junipero Serra gave us direction … Siempre Adalante … Always forward … never back! Let's write the next chapter of this historic adventure together . . . with a legacy of stories, not stuff!
A New Normal
August 2022
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
Remember life before COVID? Frankly, it is difficult to recall after over two years of masks, vaccinations, boosters, and social distancing. We are a resilient people, however, and life does go on. We learn to live with a new normal. COVID isn't going away, so our new normal includes education, precautions and common sense.
Life at the Mission is no different. While we prefer to view 2020-2021 through the filter of a silver lining; the shut down of the Mission allowed us to complete the seismic retrofit with nobody but skeletal staff and construction crews on site. It afforded us the time and space to put the Mission's best face on for the returning guests and visitors returned.
Private and group retreats resumed at the Mission in September of 2021. Since then, we have been increasingly busy. While some groups are still hesitant to congregate in retreats, most have resumed full capacity with individuals eager to get out of the house and restore their faith and inner resolve at this wonderful, serene, historic place. The new normal includes a few changes. The Mission no longer offers any catering services to retreat guests. Groups are responsible for bringing their own cooks/chefs with them to serve their retreat participants' needs. Individual retreat guests, as before, are encouraged to bring their own pre-prepared meals with them for the duration of their retreat, as they are given access to a refrigerator, microwave, and electric teapot in the dining room. The retreat center is now closed Sunday-Tuesday evenings. If you are considering an individual or group retreat, please call the Mission office at 831.385-4478, ext. 10 or email office@missionsanantonio.net asap to reserve space, as we are currently booking well into 2023.
When I last reported to you in our Spring 2022 newsletter, we were beginning to work on restoration of our septic lines/system. This is a very large facility and we have four separate septic systems to accommodate it. This restoration is very expensive but also highly critical to the use of the facility. Retreat and gift shop income are what enables this Mission to remain open to the public. I am happy to be able to report that the restoration of the septic systems is almost complete.
Our donor appreciation art piece, to be displayed in the quadrangle garden, is scheduled to begin creation by the illustrious metalsmith, Max Randolph by the end of the year. We don't want to spoil the surprise, so I won't give the details at this point, by you can join Max's 2.5 million followers on Max's social media accounts, beginning in mid-Fall, to watch the creative process as it unfolds.
We still have space for our "Room-Naming" Campaign to allow you to leave a legacy of honor, dedication or in memory of someone you love. What a lovely way to illustrate your love and care for someone.
We are working with the Architects-of-Record, Franks and Brenkwitz, LLP, whom have spearheaded our retrofit/restoration project, on the plans for the restoration/remodel of the pavilion. The focus will be to make the building safe and more versatile for group usage, for events and also for classroom/lab use by Archeological Field Schools.
We have been hard at work on the restoration of our many historic paintings at the Mission. We just received back four paintings, two which are displayed in the museum, after having undergone cleaning and conservation. Again, this is a lengthy, painstaking and expensive process, but one that is well worth the effort as these historic artifacts are restored to their former glory.
Maintenance on the adobe buildings will begin again when the weather cools. As many of you already know, buildings made out of mud, clay, and straw need constant upkeep to retain their wonderful integrity and appearance. It would be a travesty, and irresponsible, to allow all our hard work over the past eight years to become weatherworn and dilapidated again.
Our Mission fundraising events have returned to the calendar, with this year's Mission Days and Mission Fiesta well attended and enjoyed. Our Fall wine-tasting event, Afternoon in the Garden, is scheduled for Saturday, November 5th from 3-6pm. Please see the Mission website for further details. We are currently discussing the possibility of offering an additional dinner and night's stay for that evening, as a separate Evening in the Garden, for a very limited number - twenty couples. Please email me if you are interested in attending.
It's a new normal . . . but that's okay. They say that the only thing you can depend on not changing is that life involves constant change. We experience, we learn, we adapt . . . we grow.
Always forward . . . never back! Please continue with us on the journey.
A Spring in our Step
by Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
February 2022
When we last spoke, in our Fall/Winter 2021 newsletter, I mentioned that the California poppies were emerging in the quadrangle garden. Despite my urging them to return to their winter slumber, they have continued to grow, flourish and bloom! Oh course, the eighty degree weather had a lot to do with that!
This morning as I arrived at the Mission, the temperature was in the low twenties and there was a fair amount of snow on the Santa Lucia peaks located behind the Mission. The poppies don't seem to mind, they are still sporting their beautiful golden orange smiles in the garden!
As you may already know, we recently had to cancel our annual Cutting of the Roses and Spaghetti Dinner due to COVID concerns. We do have rose cuttings available, through the Mission Gift Shop, whiles supplies last. Please come see us and get some cuttings for your own rose garden!
Progress has been made on the stabilization and lime-wash plastering of several of our ruins. This is a very important part of the conservation of our historic site, both stabilizing the structures and making them more visible to visitors.
Restoration and conservation of our museum paintings continues, along with limited repair to one of the historic frames. This is very specialized, painstaking, and time- consuming work, often done with q-tips and small cotton balls. We hope to receive the four paintings back before the end of 2022. We appreciate all the loving care that Patty West, of South Coast Fine Arts Conservation Center, gives our historic treasures.
Our donor appreciation art piece has been granted permission to move into the contract/commissioning stage. We are working with Max Randolph, an extremely talented and creative metalsmith in Paso Robles, CA for this project. Details will be provided as we move forward.
We still have "doors" available in our retreat center, as part of our "name that room" fundraising project. Contact me if you are interested in participating (office@missionsanantonio.net or 831.385-4478, ext. 10). A $25,000 donation will enable you to dedicate a retreat room door with a plaque that is "in honor of", "in memory of" or "dedicated to" the person or group of your choice. It is a wonderful way to honor those you love and help the Mission at the same time!
To update you on our current focus – we are working on the restoration/replacement of the septic lines at the Mission. The majority of these lines are seventy-five years old and have long outlived their life expectancy. Replacing these pipes and correcting any connection problems is of utmost importance to the success of the retreat center. We take the comfort of our overnight guests very seriously. It is the success of our Retreat Center, that keeps our doors open to the public. This is an expensive project, but will be even more costly if we fail to complete it.
We are also looking ahead to working on the pavilion in the Mission fiesta grounds. It is our intention to fully stabilize and restore the pavilion so that it may be used for both fundraising and educational events and future Archeological Field Schools. Use of this area of the Mission is vital to the ongoing financial support needed to meet our daily operating budget.
We've accomplished so much together! Thank you for all your support and financial generosity. We hope we can count on you to continue partnering with us as we move forward.
With the weather warming and the wildflowers of waking up, we need to add a spring in our step. There is much left to do! The Mission continues . . . .
Two Hundred and Fifty Years and Counting . . . .
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
July 2021
What a difference a day makes, or a week, a month or a year! Multiply that by two hundred and fifty and we find ourselves light years away from the world in which Fray Junipero Serra founded his third Alta California Mission in the peaceful Valley of the Oaks. To visit the Mission today, however, still elicits a visceral response that welcomes the traveler, stills the mind and calms the spirit.
We at Mission San Antonio work hard to honor our past while committing our efforts to continuing to serve the greater community. This is accomplished through Sunday celebration of Mass, our participation in the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist and Matrimony. We stand with our grieving families at funerals. We link hands with our native brothers and sisters at our annual All Souls Mass that commemorates the faith of our forefathers who worked together to build this amazing Mission community.
It is because of our great appreciation and respect for those who went before us that we were inspired to save the Mission . . . to tackle the enormous challenge of the seismic retrofit/stabilization of the Mission buildings and the upgrades necessary to restore, preserve and conserve this precious historic treasure.
July 14, 2021, two hundred and fifty years from its founding date, finds Mission San Antonio in a very good state of being. Together, we have completed the majority of the project! Phase V of Five is still moving forward. Now a full seven years from our project start date (August 2014), we find ourselves busy with museum upgrades, site historic ruins preservation and proceeding with our project donor recognition.
Nuno Iron & Mfg., Inc. located in King City, CA was commissioned to build and install a new wrought iron gate in the southeast corner of the garden for the breezeway. They did a marvelous job and the gate looks terrific!
805 Custom Woodworks in Paso Robles, CA, has been commissioned to build six new "old-growth redwood" display cases for our museum artifacts and will retrofit and refinish thirteen additional existing cases.
Jeanine Hattas from Hattas Public Murals in Lake Balboa, CA, has been commissioned to paint a 20' x 8' mural honoring the native Salinan People in the Valley of the Oaks, prior to the arrival of the Spanish Franciscans in 1771. We are working closely with the Salinan People to ensure that our rendition is historically accurate and in keeping with their oral traditions.
Our garden restoration has been completed and now is busy "growing into itself." Spring was welcomed with a hearty portion of the garden arrayed in California's native flower . . . the poppy! Since we didn't plant any in the new garden, we were pleasantly surprised when our Creator added his own personal touch! We are enjoying the beautiful native plants, flowering alongside the gorgeous roses reserved from the last two garden restorations (1948 and 2003). Our original grape stock, climbing the trellis by the historic well in the garden, have not only survived last summer's complete renovation, but are thriving this year with a bountiful crop of grapes on the vine. The newly restored fountain provides a relaxing and restorative backdrop to the garden's serene atmosphere. Bees are buzzing, birds are flitting around the blossoms and splashing in the puddles, frogs are singing and toads are croaking . . . the garden once again exudes life! The mission garden is an enchanting place; a place to quiet your mind, provide a pause in your active life and help heal your soul and restore your sense of balance and purpose.
We are currently in negotiations with Max Randolph of Max Randolph Studios, in Paso Robles, CA, regarding our donor recognition art piece to be located in the mission garden. Max is a renowned metal smith whose creativity lends a wonderful addition to this important element of our restoration project.
The lavendaria and the threshing floor adobe walls will be the first of our historic site ruins to undergo a preservative procedure that involves protecting the historic adobe walls by encasing them in an external, sacrificial layer of limewash. This method is used to accomplish two areas of concern – to make the ruins more visible to visitors to our Mission, and to keep the elements (sun, rain, wind, etc.) from further deteriorating the historic adobe. While this work is currently on "pause" mode due to the extraordinary summer heat in the valley (the wash doesn't cure properly in excessive heat), it will resume when the temperatures are reduced in the Fall. When these two areas are complete, we will review additional historic sites on the property for the same type of procedure, as future-donated funds become available.
The Mission Gift Shop has reopened with reduced hours. Please see the Mission website at missionsanantonio.net for current scheduling.
The Mission Retreat Center is once again open for both personal and private retreats. Care is being taken to keep our guests healthy and safe and we ask all non-vaccinated visitors and guests to wear masks when inside our facilities. Everyone is encouraged to utilize the hand sanitizer readily available on site to maintain the healthiest possible environment for us all to enjoy.
A New World (A Mission San Antonio de Padua Update)
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
March 2021
We are living in a new world. For the past year we have faced crises in health, safety, justice, equality and economics. We've been tested repeatedly and we've risen to meet the challenges. Life has continued on and our mission to retrofit and restore Mission San Antonio has continued to move steadily forward.
We are now one year past the date (March 18, 2019) when the Mission was closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have suffered hardship due to loss of income, the Mission's restoration work has flourished. As essential workers, the construction teams have been allowed to continue the restoration work that your generous donations have made possible.
Many members of the community have given financial support to this worthy historic endeavor. We call it our hundred-year-fix, but, in essence, done well, this project's rewards will continue well beyond the next one hundred years.
Focus now is shifting from the seismic stabilization of the buildings to the preservation and interpretation of the artifacts and the historic site. New signage is being installed to replace deteriorating signs, with accompanying tour guide brochures being designed and printed.
Interpretive diagrams and murals are planned additions for the museum walls. New cases that will better display and better preserve our artifacts are needed. Work in these areas is scheduled to begin soon. Our Retreat Center common areas – Conference Room, Ecumenical Chapel and Dining Rooms – are currently being upgraded to enhance the retreat experience for our guests.
Visitors will enjoy the improved trails to historical locations on site and will be especially appreciative of the rebirth of the quadrangle garden, now flourishing with native plants, wild California poppies, a restored fountain and winding walkways. The sounds of cascading water and birds singing enhance the calming spirit of the Mission. Eroding adobe foundational ruins must be preserved by the addition of a sacrificial layer of limewash, which also serves to better delineate their historical locations within the 86-acre Mission property.
The archives storage area still needs a lot of work. Enhanced storage cabinets to provide fire/moisture and insect/rodent protection are needed. Artifact catalogs need to be converted into more accessible formats and all materials need to be stored in optimal conditions.
Yes, we are now living in a new world but we have used this past year, when we've been closed to the public, to accomplish a great deal of our restoration work. We remain closed to the public at this time but are hoping and working towards the day when we can once again open the main gates to visitors and guests. We will continue to responsibly utilize the funds you have so generously donated to this worthy project to get the job done. We look forward to the day when each of you can come see, in person, all that you have helped make possible. We will be ready with a newly restored, newly reinforced, newly reborn Mission . . . ready to meet the needs of our new world.
The Status of the Campaign - Where We Are Today - Where We Are Headed
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
November 2020
Since 2010, the Campaign's Board Members, in collaboration with the Mission parish, have accomplished a phenomenal feat! Together we raised the funds necessary to complete the mandated seismic retrofit of Mission San Antonio! Exercising responsible stewardship, we integrated upgrades of the electrical, plumbing and ADA components of the infrastructure. We improved our security system and installed a new fire detection system. Through separate private grants, we upgraded our retreat center and dining room furnishings and christened a wonderful new Mission-era gallery.
The Mission Community has been generous and supportive of this lengthy and extremely costly process. To date we have raised, and spent, $10.8 million dollars. We are now six years from the breaking ground date and the world we live in is a very different place than when we first began.
We are still on track to finish the Phase V requirements (of a five-phase project) to include the quadrangle garden restoration, site signage and accessibility, museum upgrades, and both site preservation and interpretation of our historic ruins. It is imperative that we complete what we started. This is our one-hundred-year fix. It is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate as an integral member tasked with saving this unique historic jewel and to further enable the "Telling of the Mission's Story" in an accurate, comprehensive, and authentic manner to future generations.
The Sibbett Group, a premier museum consulting firm, has provided us with complete and professional guidelines to ensure the safety and preservation of our artifacts and to provide the elements that will enhance the educational components of our Mission Museum experience. We need to complete our site preservation as well, as the historic ruins face the continuing ravages of time and the elements. Providing proper protection to these areas is critical to their survival for posterity. Lastly, we need to upgrade our archival storage to include improved preservation techniques and to enable expanded accessibility to our archived collections.
Let's face it, the world we knew prior to COVID 19 no longer exists. We are collectively facing an adversary that demands our attention, emotionally, physically and financially. Raising money in this environment to complete our restoration/preservation work will be extremely challenging. We have accomplished a great deal of work to-date. We do have more to finish, and together I believe we will.
Stay safe and healthy. Thank you for your continued support in this epic endeavor!
Look for the Lights . . . Be a Light!
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
August 2020
For almost a half of this year our news broadcasts have issued daily updates of darkness. We are told to socially distance, close our places of business, avoid being around other people as much as possible. We wash our hands repeatably, disinfect, wear face masks and plastic face guards. We stand six feet or more apart. All of this is necessary; all of this is being done to safeguard our most vulnerable.
Within the doom and gloom, rays of light offer hope. Vaccine research is promising, our homes and places of business have never been so CLEAN. Our remarkable technological world has expanded our knowledge and experience with online meetings and classrooms. Many families and friends are staying more connected than ever before. While we struggle to keep Americans safe and still get back to the business of work and school, our essential workers have held the front lines and have kept our world running for us all. What we need to realize, however, is that although we appreciate all they've done, we are all essential!
Each and every one of us is essential to our families, our friends, our communities. We are needed to bring light to a dark world. We check on each other, we lend a hand when someone needs help, we offer hope to the despairing, we lighten one another's burdens. We reach out. We bring light.
Mission San Antonio is also a light-bearer to the community. For almost two hundred and fifty years it has offered light in the darkness and peace amidst the turmoil.
While current conditions still mandate that the Mission remain closed to the general public, the restoration work continues. We are working hard to have the Mission safe, restored and ready when the order is given that the doors can reopen.
Chris Ingram's Lath & Plaster crew has worked continually throughout this pandemic and has completed the fabric repair and limewash of the east portion of the building (from dining room to end of garages).
They then moved to the fabric repair of the front wall of the Mission complex (southern exposure). This is a very lengthy process involving many layers of repair, with each needing to cure for a certain period of time before the next layer can be applied. Concurrently, they are working on the fabric repair of the south, west and north walls of the quadrangle. The damage to the south and west wall is fairly extensive, so this is also a long process.
Fountain repair work has begun. We have removed all the broken plaster, cracked concrete, etc. and have begun the fabric repair. New inflow and outflow lines have been installed, as has conduit for electrical supply to power the recirculating pump and the UV light filters that will keep the water clean and clear. It will take 6-8 weeks to have the fountain ready for our fountain expert, Dave McFadden, to begin working his magic with the rocks, plants and fish. It will be wonderful to restore the relaxing sounds of the cascading water back into our garden atmosphere.
Mark Switzer Excavating has completed the demolition and replacement of all water lines in the garden. They have installed a back flow preventor, a pressure reducer valve and have added additional valves to allow us to isolate each section of the garden, should any water leakage issues arise at a future date.
Switzer Excavating has completed the new grading so that the garden topography is no longer flat. We worked together to establish a more natural-looking terrain.
The hardscape portion of the garden project began on Monday, August 3rd, 2020. This segment is complete and includes all pathways of travel, ADA compliant steel plates at each pathway connection linking to the loggia, and the "patio" located at the fountain area designed to accommodate future gatherings. The concrete apron at the garages is also complete.
Pete Vachek continues to paint . . . I am sure he thinks this job has no end! It's a very large Mission and we are so fortunate to have his talent at work on this project!
Madrone Landscaping has been contracted to make our vision come to life. They will install the low-wattage path lighting, irrigation, plants and ground cover. It is our objective to have all of this work completed by the end of October, 2020.
We have contracted for 16 redwood benches for the quadrangle setting and are in negotiations for the additional seating for the interior of the garden. We also now have a new bench for the front area outside the main church and have had all of our other benches deep cleaned and restored.
We are working on new signage and hope to have this part of the project completed by the end of the year. We also need a new main site sign – we are entertaining concepts and bids at this time.
Numbers as of 7.31.2020
Phase I $3,089,727.92
Phase II $2,119,799.55
Phase III $1,354,527.51
Phase IV $1,754,149.25
Phase V $2,019,969.09
TOTAL $10,373,156.29
(please note that these numbers are updated as painting, fabric repair of the building, and miscellaneous items are completed)
Phase V garden restoration $34,982.97 to date with incoming invoicing of an additional $500,000 by the end of calendar year -2020.
The Sibbett Group (Museum Consultants) estimate for the museum upgrade, site interpretation and archival protection is $994,152. For this work to be completed in 2021, we need to aggressively raise funds.
Our money reserve is being seriously tapped. We need an influx of cash to continue moving forward.
Help us complete the "Telling of the Mission's Story". We need to raise an additional $1.5 Million to fully enable us to best "Tell the Story". These funds will complete the museum upgrades included in Phase V, protect and provide better access to our archival treasures,
protect, delineate and interpret the foundations of our historic landscape, and provide better signage to inform and educate our visitors. We are almost there. We need to finish to ensure that the Mission continues to serve the community for many, many future generations. We need to be able to fully "Tell the Story of Mission San Antonio de Padua".
We are a resilient people. We have faced challenges before and have risen to meet the need. We will do this again. The coronavirus is a formidable challenge . . . so was raising over $10 Million dollars to accomplish a seismic retrofit and restoration of a 250-year old Mission.
You are essential to the success of Mission San Antonio's retrofit and restoration. I believe in you . . . I believe in us. Together we will continue to rise to meet the challenge and continue to be lights for a dark world. W e simply can't stop now; we are so close to completion! Please continue to give and encourage others to do the same. Let's continue to shine a light in the darkness.
We Protect What We Love
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
April 2020
What a difference a few weeks make! When I last reported to you on the Mission project, we were completing the seismic stabilization and preparing to move full steam ahead into the restoration of the quadrangle (Padre's Garden), the upgrade of the museum and the protection and interpretation of the historic landscape.
Fast forward to today and we find ourselves sheltering in place, businesses shut down and our economy suffering devastating attacks. As we follow the mandates and recommendations of our health and public officials, we strive to produce a "new normal" where we stay home, teach our own children and use our remarkable technology to conduct business and stay in touch with our extended families of friends and family.
As Administrator of Mission San Antonio, I am fortunate, in that I am obligated to be at the Mission every day during this challenging time. I have animals and plants to tend to. Many of us in the Diocese are also working from home. I answer phone messages and emails from many, many people who want to know if they can just come and sit in the church, or on the grounds, and let the peace and serenity soak into their inner core. Unfortunately, I have to say "no" as we are obligated to follow the same guidelines as all of you and retain closure and social distancing.
Reflecting over the events of the past several weeks, I am wholeheartedly touched and encouraged by the number of people that have reached out to see how the "Mission" is doing and offering their emotional and spiritual support.
Many tell me that they just ache for a chance to return to this hallowed ground, for visits, retreats, etc.
This has confirmed for me that we are doing the right thing by stabilizing and restoring this precious historic treasure. It has been a long, costly and difficult road thus far but at least the end is now in sight!
While the work on the garden is currently at a standstill, we are moving ahead with preparations to resume work as soon as able. We have potted seventy of our best rose bushes to be replanted into our restored garden. We would like to offer the remainder of the roses for sale/donation to those who would like to have them for their own gardens. Watch for information or advertisements in local papers once that option becomes viable, or email me at office@missionsanantonio.net to let me know you are interested.
I have included photographs with this article to show you that the roof is now back on in Phase V and the limestone cement wash is near complete. The members of the Project Team have proven to be responsible caretakers of all of the financial support that you've given this project. We aren't yet done, but we have faith that we will complete the task we've been given.
Our hearts and our prayers are now with you and your families. We hope and pray that you remain safe and healthy. We pray for our first responders, our doctors, our nurses, our agricultural businesses and workers, our grocery store clerks, our pharmacists, our scientists, our researchers, our postmen and women, our civil officials and everyone else that works on the front lines to keep us safe, healthy and fed.
We protect who we love. That's why this stay at home order is so important! We protect what we love. The Mission Parish Prayer Warriors are praying for you during this challenging time. Please include us in your prayers also.
We will emerge from this crisis, stronger and more committed than ever to complete this Retrofit/Restoration/Protection project. Places like the Mission are critically needed in this uncertain, turbulent world. We need to finish our job. Why? Because we protect what we love.
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Stay home!
Seismic Conclusion and Protection for Posterity
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
February 2020
In 2010, when the non-profit entity, the Campaign to Preserve Mission San Antonio de Padua, was formed, our state-mandated seismic retrofit project loomed dauntingly ahead of us. We began the momentous task of raising the estimated $12 to $15 Million dollars that would be required to complete our "Mission to save the Mission."
On August 4, 2014, the proverbial "retrofit project train" pulled out of the station and we broke ground on the seismic strengthening of the Mission Church (Phase I of Five Phases). This work proved to be painstaking, intricate and ever-surprising. Working without any historic blueprints from the 1948 restoration of the Mission, the architectural construction and current condition of the building was literally a world of wonder and discovery. What was done on the east wall did not match what was done on the west wall, etc. You can imagine the frustration level. Fortunately for us, we have a cool-headed Project Team who handled each "surprise" in the most professional and cost-effective manner possible to ensure the safety and accessibility of the church for the next hundred years.
After completion of the church in July of 2016, the project moved on to Phases II, III and IV . . . the seismic strengthening and necessary upgrades to aging electrical systems and the installation of a fire detection system commenced. The "train" ran out of fuel in 2017 and due to the lack of available funding, the stabilization project was put on hold. We continued throughout 2018 to progress on smaller projects, like the interior painting of the facility and the restoration/remodel of the parish library into a wonderful Mission-era reception/gallery, made possible by a grant from the Frances K. and Charles D. Field Foundation. We continued throughout 2018 to solicit funding.
Renewed by additional grant awards and donations received, work resumed in December, 2018, under a new general contractor, Brad Forde of B.H. Builders, Inc. Phase IV plumbing and ADA compliancy issues were addressed and work was completed in the north retreat wing. In January 2019, seismic work resumed on the eastern half of the northern end of the facilities – Phase V.
As we approach Spring 2020, we have almost completed the major construction portion of Phase V. Crews from Salinas Valley Roofing have already begun to return tile to the roof in this area. The installation of the new hood with appropriate fire suppression system, above the stove is complete, as is the installation of a new swamp cooler to introduce fresh air into the kitchen area. For anyone who's had to work in this area in the summer, you'll understand what a blessing this restoration will offer.
Our own personal Michelangelo, Pete Vachek, is busy painting everything that isn't moving! We are so fortunate to have such a talented painter in our own local area. Keep painting, Pete.
Phase V, however, is not yet complete. Replacement of water lines in the Padre's Garden (quadrangle area) are now on the work schedule. Repair and restoration of the fountain (with addition of recirculating pump) are in the works and promise to restore the soothing sound of moving water to this special place. The installation of lighting in the garden area will offer a special ambiance to overnight guests. Plans for the garden are currently in process, with the eventual goal being to offer an inviting environment to both our daily visitors and our retreat guests. A more natural, drought-tolerant, low maintenance garden that can serve as an oasis for the Mission Community.
Phase V also includes the restoration of our site interpretation. Our signage is about seventy-two years old and shows every day of its age.
Through archeological research that has taken place on site for many, many years, under the wise direction of Dr. Robert Hoover, we know a lot more about the site than we did in 1948. We need to reflect this additional knowledge in the way that we tell our story. Working with museum consultants, The Sibbett Group, we are mapping out a strategy that will enable us to upgrade the museum experience we offer to our visitors. This includes upgrading our exhibit cases to better protect our priceless treasure and to use a limited amount of selective technology to enhance the telling of our story.
For the last six years we've been on an amazing journey. I now know more than I had ever expected to (or wanted to) about seismically stabilizing a historic adobe structure. That said, even with all the hiccups, all the not-so-pleasant surprises along the way, the journey has been amazing! I have been fortunate to get to work side-by-side, day-by-day with a wonderful group of people – from my fellow members of the Project Team, Brian Kelly, our Project Chair, Brett Brenkwitz and Charles Franks, our Architects of Record, Tim Gohr of Eagle Construction and Brad Forde and Kevin Kritzberger of B.H. Builders, Inc., as well as all our Sub-Contractors. I've served as a Board Member with Susan Gill and Ann Beckett, Co-Presidents of the Campaign to Preserve Mission San Antonio and have been privileged to work with that organization's Executive Board including Margaret Duflock and Natalie Rava, as well as all my terrific fellow Board Members.
I know that everyone is tired. It's been a very long haul, but we need to hang in there for the finale!
To save the Mission buildings was our first and primary goal. We have nearly accomplished this. The safety and accessibility of the Mission buildings, though, only serves as a backdrop to the entire Mission experience. In order for the Mission to remain viable for the future, we need to complete the "rest of Phase V." We need to ensure the protection of our priceless artifacts from the ravages of time and the elements. We need to preserve our foundational adobe ruins (scattered around our 86-acre site) from simply melting away. We need to tell our story in an articulate, accurate, cohesive and culturally sensitive manner.
It will have done us no good to save the buildings if we don't complete the "saving" of the rest of the site so that it will be able to continue to serve the greater community with an authentic Mission experience for many future generations. In order to accomplish this, we ask that you stay aboard the train with us. We ask for your continued financial and prayerful support . . . helping to provide the fuel funds that will enable the work to keep going forward.
The train station of completion is within sight. The journey has been, and continues to be, important, worthwhile and amazing. Please let us continue the journey together.
Summer Bustle and Blessings
By Joan Steele Mission Administrator
August 2019
It's that wonderful time of year, when the barbeques are fired up, the sparkling glasses offer refreshing lemonade, the vegetables and fruits are fresh, delicious and plentiful. The days are longer and families carve out time to spend in adventure and fun. Days bustle with activity and nights enrich us with cool breezes, companionship and dreams. Summer seems to burst with an endless array of opportunities. We are energized to embrace life.
Summer at Mission San Antonio is also bustling! Our hardworking, diligent construction crew with B.H. Builders is hard at work beginning at 5am. They continue to core the walls, insert the steel rods, pour the epoxy, saw, hammer, lift and carry until 5pm. With temperatures often soaring into the triple digits, this work is hot, demanding and not for the faint of heart.
Whenever I hear someone complaining about the heat, I remind them that our work crew does exhausting heavy work in this heat . . . without complaint. We are very blessed to have such conscientious hard workers!
Phase IV work is almost at 100% completion. Restroom partitions, custom shower rods and new can lights in the ADA bathroom are still in the works.
Pete Vachek continues to paint, our own personal Michelangelo. Pete's work is the crowning touch that gives the Mission the look of being not just historic but more importantly, in the words of our Project Chair, Brian Kelley . . . "loved."
Phase V work is humming along at a good pace, despite the heat. The hearty crew from B.H. Builders, under the direction of our General Contractor, Brad Forde, has made remarkable progress. The team from Thoma Electric is also on site working on the new electrical panels and updating the electrical infrastructure. The plumbing upgrades and the new hood for the kitchen are on schedule for September, 2019. Chris Ingram and his crew are on site working on the fabric repair of the buildings in Phases II thru IV. Their work includes the both cement wash and lime wash; which one is used is determined by the existing substructure. Mission Protection Systems will soon be installing a new fire alarm system and updating the security cameras in Phase V
The Project Team is working on the vision for the Padre's Garden rehabilitation, potentially scheduled for some time between March and May, 2020. The plumbing for the garden and the fountain needs serious restoration attention. The goal of this part of the project is to make the garden more conducive to the retreat guests and visitors. Since finding volunteers to help maintain the garden has been an ongoing and difficult factor for years, (mostly due to our remoteness and aging parish members) the garden of our future will need to be low-maintenance. This will mean more hardscape (pavers, decomposed granite, etc.) to create area-specific regions. We plan to install a recirculating pump for the fountain and have the inside resurfaced. This will allow us to restore usage of the fountain and once again enable our visitors to enjoy the soothing sounds of trickling water. We intend to add more lighting to the area to ensure the safe use of the garden, during the evening hours, by our retreat guests.
The Project Team Members will also be meeting with the Sibbett Group again in August, 2019 to further develop our Museum and Site Interpretation Plan. As discussed in our last newsletter, the Museum upgrades necessary to preserve and protect the natural fiber materials (baskets and fabric, paper and books) in the Museum and Archives are part of Phase V. We have extended that Phase to include the site interpretive plan.
Mission San Antonio is fortunate to be in the unique position to protect and interpret California's historic beginnings. It is imperative that we recognize this and that we embrace this opportunity to shoulder the responsibility that history is offering to us . . . a chance to honor those who established and built the Missions through an accurate, well-preserved site.
Our remoteness as a Mission is both a blessing and a curse. Many, many could-be visitors will never take the twenty+ mile detour off Hwy 101 to visit this Mission. For those who do . . . they are abundantly blessed with the peacefulness, the serenity and the authenticity of this wonderful historic Mission. Please continue to share the story. Please continue to plead our cause. Please continue to support us in this monumental endeavor. We have a very large site (86 acres) to interpret and preserve for future generations. We have you to join with us and support us. We are incredibly blessed!
Where we stand on our Campaign to Preserve Mission San Antonio de Padua
By Brian Kelly-- Volunteer Project Manager and Joan Steele—Mission Administrator
May 2019
As the Project Manager for the parish preservation projects at Mission San Antonio de Padua and Mission Administrator, we want to give you an update of our progress and our vision going forward, as the end is now foreseeable.
When we started, the Project Team estimated the overall cost for the multi-phase project would be $10-12 million dollars. Thanks to the donors and stakeholders who have provided almost $9 million, we have completed the seismic retrofit and structural strengthening along with mandated code upgrades of the Mission Church, South Convento (museum wing), the West Convento (retreat rooms and bathrooms), North Convento (retreat rooms & bathrooms), and about to start similar work on the remainder of the North wing which contains the kitchen, two dining rooms, bathroom, laundry, archival storage, wood shop, and garages. This will complete all the work required by the County of Monterey for occupancy and day/night use. Included are all new electrical wiring, security monitors, fire alarm system, lighting, and ADA compliances for access. The Project Team continues to learn from each of the five site projects and working experience at the other Diocesan missions with the outcome requiring unforeseen additions along the way upgrading the facilities as needed beyond County requirements.
Here's an accounting of how the money has been spent thus far (as of 5.6.2019):
Phase I $3,049,498.64
Phase II $2,096,352.43
Phase III $1,339,047.51
Phase IV $1,349,609.06 (to date, phase is currently in progress)
Phase V $ 191,082.84 (to date, phase is currently in progress)
Total $8,025,590.48 (to date)
Enough funds have been raised to allow the completion of the code upgrades for Phase #4 and completion of Phase #5, the dining rooms, kitchen and support facilities, except for a small shortage of approximately $695,000. With this, our seismic retrofit goal will be achieved, and we move on to the museum upgrade and site interpretive plan.
After many visits to other California and Arizona Missions, along with gaining further knowledge of Mission San Antonio de Padua over the years, we recognize the unique features of this mission and its mostly original operational landscape filled with artifacts ( aqueduct, wells, housing area, vineyard, threshing floor, etc.) all of which need to be interpreted, preserved and accessed for the public to view. The museum in the South Convento needs to be brought up to museum quality and archives preserved and housed in the proper environment. The archival room needs special treatment in order to preserve the irreplaceable objects saved from the mission period. It is vital to repair and upgrade the quadrangle area in order to support the needs of visitors and guests and to support retreat activities. This Mission is an important destination for visitors from the North and South. The museum upgrade, site archival interpretation and preservation, archival storage facilities, and the Quadrangle (the Padre's Garden) work has been a part of the planned campaign project since we began. Funds needed for this work are approximately $1.8-$2.2 million dollars.
We are on track and on budget and excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please help us raise the necessary funds in 2019 to support us beginning work in 2020 on Phase VI (formally phase V) the museum upgrade and site interpretation.
A Winter Reflection on the Retrofit/Restoration Project
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
February 2019
Warm days, poppies and irises in bloom, daffodils blossoming and trees budding – sounds like I'm describing Spring, doesn't it? Add to this picture – snow on the mountains, hail peppering the ground and temperatures in the low 20's. All of this describes our current Winter at Mission San Antonio. Water, water everywhere! There's nowhere else for the water to go! Our seasonal reflecting ponds have grown into lakes, and the lakes are creating their own new streams. While visitors avoid the marshy areas the fields have become, they are welcomed oases for the traveling ducks. The crazy weather keeps us on our toes and ever-appreciative of those beautiful, sunny days that California is known for.
We have not let the changing temperatures and abundant rain stop us from achieving progress on Phase IV of our project. We began in December, 2018, excavating for the installation of a new drainage system that will better protect the Mission facilities' foundations. This was quite an exciting adventure! With no documentation indicating location of drainage pipes, sewer pipes, water lines, propane and electric lines, every other scoop of dirt unveiled new information. With Dr. Robert Hoover as our Archeological Monitor and James Larson as our Salinan Monitor, we worked our way around the entire complex in a matter of three to four mostly wet and muddy weeks to complete the installation of the new system. Two wine/liquor bottles were found during the trenching, as well as several small fragments of stoneware, majolica and other types of dish-ware. Behind the north wing, (the north wing being the area where the unmarried Salinan young women lived) two stone mortar fragments were discovered, along with a large stone metate (no legs). These items are currently being cleaned and inventoried. Per Dr. Hoover's report: "The discovery of these milling stones in the vicinity of the single women's dormitory patio tells us that the patio was used for food processing and that a mixture of traditional foods and grains were milled there by hand. The women were under the supervision of an aged female, but probably were responsible for their own meal preparations. A small kitchen was located in the North Wing nearby. The patio provided some privacy for outdoor activity in the sunshine for the women."
While we worked on the civil issues, we also had the 10,000 gallon and the 500-gallon diesel tanks removed from the property. As we have long since abandoned the original 1948 radiant-floor heating system for the complex, we no longer have the need for these diesel tanks. The removal goes another step further to returning the Mission to its more natural, historically correct viewshed.
With the outside drainage issue properly addressed, we moved inside the North Wing to begin tackling the ADA compliancy issues. To install a new and complete ADA compliant bathroom in this wing, we are losing a bedroom. One of the restroom/shower room combinations in the north wing is being completely remodeled to also be ADA compliant. While working on this construction, we are temporarily losing the use of three additional bedrooms. The Suite (our most popular set of rooms) is also getting a new bathroom. The stairs outside the suite area, and the step into the outside northern corridor have been replaced and made more accessible by the installation of ramps. The related railings will be installed soon. All of these upgrades are designed to enable us to offer a safe, comfortable stay to all our guests from around the world. It is encouraging to hear the tat-tat-tat of the hammers and the whirl of the saws as the framing for the new bathrooms continues. The upgrades and compliancy issues are scheduled to be complete by the end of April, 2019.
April 8, 2019 is the date we plan to begin work on Phase V. This Phase encompasses the remainder of the facility, beginning with the large dining room, all the way to the end of the garages. Salinas Valley Roofing has been contracted to remove the roofing tile so that the seismic portion of the project can commence. Thoma Electric will continue with the electrical upgrades and Knecht Plumbing will handle the plumbing upgrades.
While it is exciting to see this project in progress again, we cannot rest on our laurels! We need to keep at the fundraising! It will take an additional $2.4-3 million to complete all the work listed on the Project signage posted five years ago at the front of the Mission. We are currently working with the Sibbett Group, Museum Consultants, who are helping us to formalize a comprehensive upgraded Museum and Site Interpretive plan. This will include the acquisition of temperature/humidity-controlled cases for items that are organic in nature and under threat of insect infestation and/or disintegration (like fabrics, paper and basket collections). It includes the ruins on the property that are in desperate need of protection so that they don't simply melt away into the soil. It incorporates new, better interpretive signage and pathways, programs to share the historic treasures that our archives store, etc.
Mission San Antonio de Padua is an amazing place, truly a historic treasure. We want to rise to the challenge to preserve this treasure well and interpret it accurately so that its wealth of authenticity can continue to be enjoyed by many future generations. Won't you help?
What's new at Mission San Antonio?
An update from Joan Steele
August 2018
Mission San Antonio de Padua once enjoyed the presence of thirteen hundred Salinan people, two padres, and four to six soldiers (depending on the year.) Today, two hundred and forty-seven years later, we claim about sixty-nine registered parishioners (ten under the age of ten), most of whom are seniors living on fixed incomes. I often say, we are small but mighty!
Thanks to the support and donations from the greater Mission Community, we have managed to raise funds to complete about three-fourths of the seismic stabilization/restoration project.
Even while we've been on a construction hiatus, we have been moving forward in small steps.
Pete Vachek has continued to work on the internal painting restoration. Sometimes I begin to think that this immense project will have Pete feeling like Michelangelo when he was painting the Sistine Chapel. I'm almost tempted to ask Pete repeatedly, "When will you be done?" just so I can hear him reply, "I will be done when I am done!" This is a really large Mission and although Pete may feel he'll never finish, he has made remarkable progress on keeping up with the project!
The library-to-art gallery/reception room project has also made exceptional progress. July 23-27, 2018 saw the carpeting removed from the room and the newly created, hand-made Mexican tile installed. Within the next few weeks the artisan chosen by the California Missions Foundation will arrive to add a wainscoting to the room. He will paint the wainscoting onto the walls, utilizing the three muted colors displayed in the corbels and the geometric pattern exhibited in the baptistry of the church.
Next, attention will be directed to furnishing the room and displaying the artwork. This project is being made possible by two generous grants from the Francis K. and Charles D. Field Foundation.
The Padre's Garden is always a changing pallet of color and texture. As the hot summer sun heats up our days to triple digits, repeatedly, the vibrant colors of the hollyhocks wane and the plants go to seed. The sunflowers offer up their bright yellow faces to their namesake as the bumble bees buzz around their petals.
The roses continue to offer an explosion of color, not unlike the fourth of July fireworks. Lady bugs and praying mantis labor in the garden, trying their best to keep the pests at bay.
The lavender sways gently in the afternoon breeze, awash with watercolor brushstrokes of gentle violet hues emitting a relaxing scent as the honey bees busily work among their blossoms.
Life began in a garden . . . and thanks to the dutiful work of Babette Smith, our loyal gardener extraordinaire and her occasional volunteers, life continues at the Mission garden.
Won't you come for a visit . . . and maybe stay awhile?
Mission San Antonio Marathon continues . . .
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
May 2018
If you are a runner, a home exerciser, a student preparing for exams or a serious athlete, you know what it means to hit the wall. It's that point where you may feel you've given it your all, but the road before you requires that you dig even deeper and find the reserve you need to complete the race.
This explains a little bit of how we are feeling regarding our seismic retrofit. We've come so far and accomplished so much; but the race is not yet over. We need your continued help to finish the race.
I have had several opportunities recently to explain to visitors and patrons the importance of completing this momentous retrofit/restoration project.
Two hundred and forty-seven years ago, on a hot summer day in July, 1771, Fray Junipero Serra arrived in the Valley of the Oaks. He hung a bell in an oak tree, rang it and prepared to celebrate a Mass, establishing the founding of the third Alta California Mission. When I take a moment to consider the enormous task that confronted him, from the unfamiliar territory far from his Spanish origins, extremely limited resources as well as cultural and language barriers, I am humbled. Our project team often refers to the Mission's current retrofit/restoration project as our one- hundred-year-fix. While raising an additional $3 to $5 Million dollars is indeed daunting, it cannot begin to compare to the immensity of the task that Serra embraced. It is our responsibility to sustain the work of hospitality and education that he began in 1771.
What new information can I possibly offer to you today about the status of work at the Mission?
Although the seismic work was placed on temporary hold in the fall due to lack of funds we are finishing up work that we started before the hold. And with the help of our wonderful volunteers we have been sprucing up the mission grounds.
Pete, our painter, continues to refresh the face of the Mission's interior. The entire retreat center now wears a warm welcoming coat of Swiss Coffee white. Sean, Billy and Andy are working in tandem, weed-whacking, mowing and clearing brush to provide fire safety as the weather begins to heat up in earnest. Babette, Susan and Shari have the rose garden looking amazing! California poppies, irises and hundreds of roses are in full bloom. Authentic Mission grape cuttings (from the original Mallorcan stock) are potted and leafing out, ready to put into your own home garden.
Ceiling fans are being installed in our retreat center conference room and the room will be re-opened to serve retreat groups in the next few weeks. Our nine-room Mission Museum also boasts a delightful facelift, including a new lighting system, updated signage and refreshed displays.
The installation of the new comprehensive fire safety system is complete and has passed County inspection. This, in conjunction with our state-of-the-art security system provides our visitors and guests with a sense of protection, safety and peace of mind.
We are also in the process of addressing additional site-safety concerns. We have removed the cattle guard that for several decades delineated the entrance onto Mission property. Other civil work around the Mission grounds is also being taken care of.
That brings you up-to-date on work we are in the midst of completing. If you are reading this update, your concern regarding this Mission's future is already established. Perhaps you've already given financially to our Campaign. If so, please accept our gratitude in allowing us to get this far in the project. Maybe, however, you've been waiting for that specific time when you could know for sure that your donation would provide vital support to the success of the project.
That time would be NOW!
The longer it takes us to raise the money . . . the longer it takes us to re-start the construction . . . the more money it is going to cost! If we fail to complete this project, the Mission will close to the public and future generations will lose a precious historic treasure that offers a glimpse into our Californian beginning. Please help!
I Have Faith
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
February 2018
I have faith. Faith that people are fundamentally good. Faith that people want to help . . . to make a difference. I have faith that when the going gets tough . . . the tough get going. Faith that we are never given more than we can handle, when handling it means reaching out to others for help, and gracefully accepting their assistance.
When we broke ground in August of 2014 on our Mission stabilization project, I had the hopeful faith that we would accomplish what we were starting. Over the past three years, the Mission San Antonio Community has proven that they are tough, caring, persistent and giving. This amazing community, made up of local participants and donors from forty-seven of our fifty united states, has given generously and repeatedly to this worthy cause.
Three years, and four phases later, I stand before you a worn and weary. I am a little better educated on the intricacies of seismic retrofit work on historical adobe structures and a little more seasoned on maintaining a working atmosphere within a constantly on-going construction site. More importantly, I am even more respectful of the generosity and support of our Mission Community. Time and time again you have stepped up to help meet the enormous financial needs of this project.
We are almost done! Just as you have pitched in previously, we are asking that you hang in here with us to complete the project. We have one phase to finish to claim our victory. We still need you!
Time is ticking. We have permits nearing their deadlines and we need to get started on the stabilization of Phase V, while completing the ADA requirements and plumbing upgrades still needed on Phase IV. Mission Protection Systems continues their work on the installation of a completely new fire detection systems throughout the entire complex. Pete Vachek is still painting; the place is looking clean, fresh and revived. All other contractors have been put on hold pending more money.
We need a substantial influx of money to get all of the remaining work done. Every time you share our story, our plight, with another person, you put us that much closer to receiving the financial help we so desperately need.
I still have faith. Faith in the Mission Community, that they will not back down from this challenge. I have faith that the funds will become available to allow us to complete the CA-State Mandate to seismically stabilize this Mission. I ask you to share my vision of a safe, stable, restored Mission that will continue to serve and educate many future generations. I have faith, but faith without action is dead. I have faith that all of us together can raise the money, from within our own community and from people who believe as we do in the preservation of this wonderful historic treasure. I have faith . . . in you! Please give today and thank you for your continued generosity and support!
On a Stabilization and Restorative Mission . . .Mission San Antonio de Padua
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
November 2017
Harvey, Irma, Jose . . . tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and firestorms . . . mass shootings and public terror . . . 2017 has been fraught with an inordinate number of trials and tribulations. Why would I remind you of all these painful situations that have altered millions of lives? Merely because I want to acknowledge that whether on a catastrophic level, or simply on a personal, individual or family level, life can be difficult. Things happen to us; things that knock us out of sync, make us nervous, fearful and apprehensive. When our lives are disrupted by illness, financial hardship, separation and loss, we need assistance.
When disasters strike, we want to help. What can we do to help restore our sense of normalcy, our optimism, our hopefulness? We seek places that will enable us to recover our inner peace, reaffirm our confidence, reestablish our sense of well-being, rebuild our courage, restore our faith and renew hope in the future.
Mission San Antonio exists as such a place. Our Retreat Center continues to offer sanctuary to the world-weary. Tucked snugly against the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, Mission San Antonio offers a unique opportunity to step back in time, step away from the fray and rejuvenate. In a world that continues to spiral faster and faster, we need places like this Mission to allow us to slow down and re-focus, re-prioritize our lives. Whether for an hour visit or a week-long retreat, the Mission stands prepared to assist.
You know, if you've been following our journey through our California State mandated seismic retrofit/restoration project, that we have accomplished a lot together! We want to whole-heartedly thank you for your unwavering support. Thanks to you and many others, we currently stand approximately three-fourths of the way done. But we have NOT crossed the finish line yet!
We have completed the stabilization of all but the final phase, beginning with the dining rooms, kitchen, archives, laundry room, etc. to the east end of the north wing. We still need to complete the ADA and plumbing restoration of the north convento. We need to tackle the seismic stabilization, electrical and plumbing restoration, ADA compliancy and fire safety installation for the remainder of the north wing (Phase IV). Then, we need to complete the restorative painting of the church and the civil work (grounds) in the Padre's Garden and in the area in front (south) of the Mission complex.
While some people may have believed we were done when we completed the seismic work on the church, they are sadly mistaken. A parish that claims only sixty-nine parishioners, ten under the age of ten, and the average age of seventy plus and living on fixed incomes, does not have the ability to accomplish a stabilization project of this magnitude. It is the income from our Retreat Center, in part, that makes it possible for the Mission to remain open for both the Parish and the greater community on a daily basis. If we do not complete the entire five-phase project, we will not be able to keep the retreat center open. If the retreat center closes, so too, will the rest of the facilities.
Through responsible collaboration, careful planning and employment of innovative solutions, the Retrofit Project Team has successfully utilized the approximately $7 Million raised and spent to date. Capitalizing on our economy of scale and timing, we look to realize a $4 Million to $5 Million savings if we can keep the project moving forward. In order to reap this estimated savings, we only need to raise an additional $3 Million dollars. This is a small price to pay for the continued insurance of Mission San Antonio remaining open and accessible for numerous future generations. Donations can be made as single time gifts and/or via multi-year pledges.
The fate of a precious historic treasure that continues to provide a very unique Mission experience to a world that desperately needs what it offers hangs in the balance. We need your help. We need your financial assistance. We need you to invest in this worthwhile opportunity.
There are many worthwhile causes asking for your year-end donations, please include Mission San Antonio as one of them. We need your help to complete this stabilization/restoration project, so that we can continue to help visitors and guests to restore and stabilize their lives.
Happy Holidays and may you enjoy abundant blessings in 2018!
State of the Mission Retrofit/Restoration Project
by Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
August 2017
In the Summer 2017 edition of the Mission Bell, I spoke to you about the marathon-like aspects of our seismic retrofit/restoration project. The consensus was, and is, that we are about three-fourths of the way along on the marathon . . . only one-quarter of the way left to cover until we can successfully cross the finish line.
Many of us are tired. Many of us may feel like we've hit the wall. Trust me, after years of six and seven-day work weeks, I am also tired. But this is NOT the time to give up! The light is visible in the distance. We have only a short distance until successful completion! This is the time that we take a short break, take a deep breath, enjoy a cool drink of water and then get back into the race!
If this were a car race, this would be our ever-important pit stop. If you're tired of the race, use this pit stop time to reflect on the progress we've made and allow that view to re-energize your spirit. Not so very long ago you would have had to look pretty hard to find people who believed that this Mission would ever be successful in meeting the demand of the state-mandated seismic retrofit. Today, we can see the amazing work that's been completed thus far. This is a success story in the making! The stabilization of the church, south, west and northwest covento is finished. The electrical upgrade for each of these areas is also completed. The emergency lighting is now in place. A fire alarm system has been added to the church and is monitored 24/7. The ADA code compliance for the church, the south and the west convento is met. The plumbing upgrade of the west retreat wing is done. PG & E has installed the new transformer and pole and the electrical infrastructure upgrade is rapidly approaching completion.
What's left in the race? We need to proceed with the ADA code compliance in the north convento; this includes both adaptation to existing restrooms/shower rooms and the addition of another ADA compliant bathroom, and some ADA compliant bedrooms. Plumbing upgrades also need to be addressed in that wing. Fire alarm system needs to be installed in the entire retreat center and south convento. The seismic stabilization of the remainder of the facility, beginning at dining rooms, kitchen, etc. moving east needs to begin. The electrical, plumbing, ADA compliancy, and fire alarm system for this area also need to be completed. Lastly, the restoration of the Padre's Garden in the Mission quadrangle will be tackled and the restorative painting in the interior of the church will be attended to.
The good news is . . . that light that is still in the distance . . . is much closer than we originally believed. Through hard work, dedication to the project, a collaborative spirit, willingness to be flexible and creative in finding solutions to the inevitable challenges of this project, the Project Team has managed to complete a large chunk of this project, and do so, under budget. This translates to financial savings. We are now looking ahead to complete this project for an additional $3 Million dollars. That brings the entire project costs to about $10+ Million - $11 Million dollars . . . well under the original estimate of $15 million and equaling a savings of approximately $4+ Million dollars!
The ONLY way we can realize that savings, however, is to KEEP MOVING! If we can't keep the contractor and the subcontractors engaged, we will lose precious momentum and economy of scale and the project costs escalate.
How can you help? Give financially. If you already have, and can give again, please do so. We sincerely appreciate every dollar that comes to the project and will continue to work hard to see that its worth is maximized to the fullest.
An opportunity for everyone, please give of your time and talent – help us get the word out about this worthwhile project. Use your Christmas newsletters, your social media accounts, your time standing in line at the grocery store – tell others about Mission San Antonio and invite them to participate in something historic and amazing – SAVING A CALIFORNIA MISSION!
Life outside my office window has grown much quieter in the past month. Progress on the stabilization of Mission San Antonio has dwindled as the funds are rapidly running out. PLEASE, hear my plea and lend a hand. We need to complete the race . . . we need to SAVE THIS MISSION! Not just for you and me, but for many future generations who deserve to enjoy and experience the history of our state and country at the Mission that time forgot!
"COME AND SEE"
By Project Manager, Brian Kelly
February 2017
As friends, donors, and interested parties to the historical preservation of the Mission San Antonio de Padua, you are cordially invited to "COME AND SEE" the incredible progress and success we have achieved with the contributive dollars from the Campaign and yourselves.
From the planning, commencing more than six years ago, to construction, the project has moved forward without a shutdown, due to the fund raising efforts of the "Campaign". This has allowed for the search and engagement of critical high quality contractors and subcontractors willing to come to the remote site to engage in the seismic strengthening, electrical upgrades, plumbing repairs and code upgrades, interior and exterior plaster repairs and replacements, mandated ADA requirements, civil site improvements, and numerous deferred maintenance issues.
Your contributed donations has allowed the engagement of the right people into a team focused on advocacy for the mission and dedicated to accomplishing the scope of work to preserve the mission for generations to come. The project is on a roll; the mission church is complete except for the painting of the interior; the museum wing is complete other than completing some cosmetic features, the West wing seismic work is complete, with the plumbing/bathroom work in progress, and the seismic work is underway in the North wing.
There is a vision to complete all three wings, the electrical infrastructure and code upgrades, along with the quadrangle rejuvenation by the end of 2017. The vision includes avoiding a costly shut down and loss of the critical members of the team, and the added cost of startup if we don't raise the funds needed.
The project has a team of contractors, subcontractors, and the leadership to make this possible. It is critical to have your support and contributions to allow this to happen. To continue in a seamless manner, and maximize the contributions, the "Campaign" is in the process of raising $1.8 million by the end of 2017.
We need your help!
Retrofit Olympics
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
August 2016
The Summer of 2016 has flown by and the crispness of Fall is kissing the morning sunrises at the Mission. If you, like I, followed the Olympics in Rio, than you have been excited, thrilled, proud and inspired by our athletes who have reminded us all that success comes to those who don't give up . . . those who stay the course . . . those who do not quit!
The stabilization/strengthening of Mission San Antonio reflects a similar theme. We began this journey back in 2010 with the investigative work that culminated in a Historic Structure Report. This important document became an early roadmap, leading us toward the path we would take to ensure that our Mission church and quadrangle buildings receive the stabilization and restoration needed to take us into the future.
This is the path we are still on. We knew, as our athletes so aptly reminded us, that success doesn't just happen overnight. While we have come a long way, we are still in the race. As the Fall season fast approaches, we are finishing up on Phase II of the Five-Phase project. The seismic work is done on Phase II, ADA compliance has been met, and the clay tiles are returning to the roof. With the completion of the South Convento wing, we have successfully reached a little over the half-way mark for the seismic work. This translates to approximately 30,015 sq. feet of stabilization work complete and approximately 27,424 sq. feet to go.
We have begun the work on Phase III; the West Covento of the Retreat Center. The aim here is to seismically strengthen the building, upgrade the electrical to accommodate the current (no pun intended) electrical load, remodel the bathroom and shower room to comply with ADA requirements, and install a fire alarm system and emergency lighting. These changes will result in the loss of a supply closet. They will also, however, allow us to move into the future better prepared to meet the needs of our retreat guests and help us to better provide for their comfort and support.
Originally we had planned to do the entire retreat room area as one unit (Phase III-A & Phase III B), but in the interests of remaining open to serving the public we opted to split the project into two separate phases. We are not adding additional work, just reconfiguring the scope of each phase to proceed with the optimal efficiency and economy of scale.
Phase IV will encompass similar upgrades to the North Convento (the larger of the two retreat wings). It is our plan to continue from Phase III into Phase IV seamlessly (provided the funds are in place.)
The fifth and final phase, a Museum upgrade to better preserve our aging collections of 19th century clothing, Native American basketry, etc. stands as a necessary addition to the work on the buildings themselves as these collections are priceless treasures that provide a tactile portrayal of life at the Missions in the 1700 and 1800's.
It takes a daily re-commitment to keep moving forward. We have been humbled by the generosity of many, many people who have found it in their hearts to reach out to us through the first two phases and offered us both their emotional and financial support.
The relay continues. Just as the Olympic swimmers in the pool wouldn't just decide to NOT swim their leg of the race, the Project Team, the Construction Team, the Teams of Consultants, Engineers and Sub-Contractors are poised to continue. In order for them to keep pushing ahead, we need to maintain a consistent influx of financial support. There is no sugar coating this fact – it takes a LOT OF MONEY to fund the stabilization/restoration of this important historic structure. But ask any athlete who medaled in Rio, it is worth the effort, worth the work, worth the sacrifice to be able to stand proudly one day in the future and acknowledge our success!
To those who may think the project is too big, takes too long to complete, costs too much, all I can say is, "Look how far we've come! We've accomplished more already, than some people ever thought possible." We are Americans. We believe in getting the impossible done. We set our sights high and then we accomplish them! We serve a God for whom nothing is impossible! We can ALL be part of the solution; it's not about equal giving, rather, equal sacrifice. We need every single dollar offered to achieve success.
The stabilization of Mission San Antonio de Padua is essential to our remaining open to serve the public for future generations. It is a worthy cause. It is a cause worth fighting for. If you have previously given financially, thank you; your contribution has helped get us to the beginning of Phase III. If you are able, please continue to give so that the work can continue seamlessly.
It took many, many individuals (and many years) to build these historic adobe structures, brick by brick. It will now take many, many individuals who care enough to save Mission San Antonio to step forward and become part of the team. If you have not yet given, please consider this your invitation to jump into the pool and become part of this important relay. Victory is reserved for those with the heart and resolve to stay the course, for those who refuse to give up, for those with the vision for something greater than themselves. Please help us keep swimming!
Can we talk?
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
April 2016
The late comedian Joan Rivers often used this phrase to open her comedic monologues; but, the topic I want to talk about is really no laughing matter.
Since October, 2010, you have helped us to accomplish an amazing feat . . . the raising of the funds to complete both Phase I and Phase II of the stabilization of Mission San Antonio de Padua.
Some days, when the sawing, drilling and hammering overhead is deafening and the adobe dust is falling in my coffee like creamer, it seems like this project has already gone on forever. Other days, it seems like the time has flown by, that we just began yesterday, and I look around in amazement at all we've already accomplished.
A project of this magnitude (no pun intended) – a hundred-year fix – is both tedious and extraordinary. As with any renovation project, surprises have generously afforded us with ample opportunities to learn, adjust and grow in the knowledge of our wonderful historic treasure.
Work on the south convento has proceeded with relative ease. We continue to receive structural surprises from the 1948-50 reconstruction team (under the direction of Harry Downey), and our structural engineer, Scott Haggblade (from Donald C. Urfer, Structural Engineering in Soquel, CA) is kept busy formulating competent responses to these interesting quandaries. The Project Team meets on a weekly basis to constantly assess and adjust the work parameters and flow to ultimately maximize the available cash on hand.
In the Winter 2015 newsletter, we discussed the distressed condition of one of our three main bells hanging in the companario. We pointed out that the bells are the Voice of the Mission and that we were looking for someone who would help us restore the western bell that is cracked badly in two places or replace it with a replicated version. Not a week went by after publication before two individuals stepped up to the plate and offered to help us with this task, Nick and Pierre Azcona. Utilizing a crane that was on site for the construction end of the project, we removed the 300 lb. damaged bell from the companario and initiated contact with the company chosen to complete this precision work, the Verdin Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Within the next few weeks the bell will be crated and shipped to Ohio where the five-month process to cast a replica of the bell will take place. Both bells will then be shipped back to the Mission. The cracked bell, now retired, will occupy a place of honor at a yet-to-be-determined area of the Mission, with public access to viewing it. The new bell will be hung in the companario, restoring the voice of the Mission . . . the choir of bells that ring out clear and welcoming throughout the Valley of the Oaks. Thank you to the Azconas and Azcona Harvesting, LLC, for making this possible.
This brings us up-to-date with where we stand today . . . at the threshold of Phase III-A Construction . . . the stabilization of the west convento. In order to maintain the optimum economy of scale, we need to raise another $2 Million IMMEDIATELY! (if not sooner!) While Phase I and II were relatively time-consuming, the stabilization of the west convento will proceed more rapidly due to the fact that it is a single sided wing and the south convento (almost completed) is double-sided (like working on two wings at once.)
The good news is that we will complete this phase quicker . . . the bad news (no, let's call it the challenge) is, that we will complete this phase much quicker. Thus, the rate that the project is requiring funds to continue without interruption is also increasing; meaning, we will need a subsequent $2 Million in donations to carry us into the stabilization of Phase III-B . . . the north convento.
Way back in 2010 when we first formed the Campaign for the Preservation of Mission San Antonio de Padua, our Project Chair, Brian Kelly, likened this project to a train. He described the need to locate and engage a Project Team that would invest emotionally as well as intellectually into this multi-year, multi-million dollar seismic retrofit/preservation undertaking. He equated the Team to the Engineer and the Conductor and the Campaign Board Members to the individuals that would provide the crucial fuel that would allow the train to continue on its path down the tracks.
On August 4, 2014 the train pulled out of the station and this historic stabilization/preservation journey began. Approximately 100 weeks later we find ourselves at a critical crossroads. We need a sizeable and immediate infusion of funds to keep this train moving forward.
If you haven't given financially to this project yet, we now need you to step up to the plate and make an investment in this worthwhile endeavor.
If you've given already, thank you so much for your show of support! We now need to ask you to give again. While our accomplishments are numerous and impressive, the journey is not yet over. The funds we raise are the fuel that will keep this train on the tracks.
To quote a passage from the publication, Padres and People of Old Mission San Antonio by Beatrice (Tid) Casey, in reference to the founding Fathers of the Mission, Padres Junipero Serra, Miguel Pieras and Buenaventura Sitjar, "It is their work we must study. Theirs is the labor that is to go on and on. Theirs is the responsibility for the San Antonio's failure or success. Idleness has no place here." Not much has changed in two hundred and fifty years. The work of the Mission continues and today it is your dedication and work that will be observed and remembered.
I sincerely appreciate the incredible show of support that each of you have already offered regarding this enormous project. It truly is this dedication that has empowered the progress thus far. We can't stop now! We can't leave the train out on the tracks, out of fuel, discarded and out of service. It's time to pull together, as never before, to get the word out to EVERYONE you know. Ask them to get the word out to EVERYONE THEY KNOW, and so on and so on. Just as the Mission was built one adobe brick at a time, so too, can the stabilization/preservation of it be accomplished . . . one dollar at a time.
There are no gifts too large or too small. EVERY GIFT COUNTS! It's not about equal donations . . . it's about equal sacrifice. What does Mission San Antonio mean to you? How much are you willing to sacrifice to keep it open?
Reflect on this . . . a Retrofit Project Update
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
February 2016
With the stabilization of the barrel vault roof and the campanario complete, the civil work has begun. This portion of the project includes the grading on the east side of the church and the installation of proper drainage, assuring that the church will remain safe from water damage in the coming years.
Following protocol, we made sure to have an Archeologist (Dr. Robert Hoover) and a Salinan Monitor (James Larson) on site while the digging portion of the civil work took place. It is necessary every time we break ground at the Mission, that we follow this protocol . . . with good reason.
Sure enough, while trenching to install the new drainage pipe, we unearthed human remains. As protocol procedures require, all work halted immediately. The Monterey County Sheriff's office was contacted and a Deputy was dispatched to the Mission. The Deputy conferred with Dr. Hoover, Jim, and myself and then with the County Coroner (via phone call). The determination was made that the remains were non-Native American and after discussion with the Diocese of Monterey and the Coroner, it was decided that most respectful course of action would be to reinter the bones back to the same site where they were discovered. The Mission parishioners attended a blessing for the remains led by Fr. Phil Garcia, OFM from Mission San Miguel.
Civil work then resumed. A handicap parking area and ADA-compliant ramp to the entrance area of the church have been installed.
The water from recent rains collected in the new drainage system and emptied away from the church building, across the driveway and into the area surrounding the free-standing cross that is situated between the driveway and the aqueduct. Our drainage puddle has now evolved into our seasonal reflecting pond (sounds much classier, doesn't it?)
So, if you are able to visit us during the rainy winter months, be sure to look south and east and reflect on how much we've all accomplished together since this stabilization project began. Then, gaze to the south convent (now covered in wonderful historic blue tarps J) and consider where we're headed. Please hang in there with us . . . we need everyone's continued help . . . and about $8.5 Million additional donations. (image yes we are open)
Construction Update –
We are already almost two month into the New Year. Can you believe it? Regardless of breaks in the construction schedule to accommodate the holidays and some inclement winter weather, the stabilization of Mission San Antonio de Padua marches forward. With our permit in hand, Phase II work continues at a steady rate. Here's where we are currently:
- All roofing tiles have been removed from the south convent wing and stored on site; the eastern half of the roof is still covered with felt paper (this adds additional weather protection during the winter months).
- The reinforcing construction work (stabilization cores, wedge anchors and epoxy) for the brick columns at both the south and north sides (loggia) of the convent has been completed.
- A total of 79 short cores at perimeter North (37) and South (42) walls are complete, deeper cores still remain to be done.
- 37 short cores (including wedge anchors) in the center wall are completed (@ middle of the building). All clips at trusses are installed.
- Diagonal bracing (including coring) on exterior east and west perimeter walls is completed.
- Additional conference room ceiling reinforcing is almost complete.
- All roof blocking (for purposes of establishing a seismic diaphragm) is complete.
For those of you who understand construction jargon, these details are surely enlightening. For the rest of us who are fluent only in English, all this means is we are making great progress on Phase II. That's the good news!
The soft costs of Phase IIIa and IIIb, the architectural construction documents for the west and north retreat wings are already in the works. We have not yet raised sufficient funds to cover the expenses of Phase III. That's the bad news! No, let's call it, instead, a fresh opportunity for you to participate in this extremely worthwhile preservation project of a priceless historic site!
There's no time like the present for you to step up and get involved. WE NEED YOU!!
Mission San Antonio de Padua Seismic Retrofit/Restoration Project Update
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator and Franks Brenkwitz & Associates, Architects of Record for the Retrofit Project
February 2015
Time certainly does fly! Already we are in a new year and already looking ahead to Phase 2 of our retrofit project!
A brief update of Phase 1: all of the vertical cores have been drilled (over 200) and the installation of the steel rods and anchors continues daily, as does the next step which is the addition of epoxy and sand to the cores. The electrical renovation that brings us up to current building code is also well underway. Thoma Electric is the electrical contractor. The overhaul of this antiquated existing system is a substantial job and its benefits will be a vast improvement in both usage and safety. The plasterers from Chris Ingram Lath & Plaster are now on site as their specialty work of fabric repair is called for. Carpentry work on the Mission's front doors, to bring them into ADA and Fire Code compliancy is in process.
In an attempt to maximize efficiency, eliminate redundancy and maintain work flow and economy, this seismic retrofit/restoration project remains fluid. Utilizing the extensive experience and knowledge of the engineers, architects, and construction crew, the Project Team communicates continually to assess the project progress and to discuss approaches to keep the project cost-effective and advancing smoothly.
The initial reduction for Phase 1 was partially achieved by excluding non-seismic factors. The proposed restorative lighting for the church building - five chandeliers that will replace the outdated and poorly suited flood lights that currently line the sides of the church, requires an additional $50,000. I am happy to report that since our last newsletter, I have received independent funding to cover the majority of the lighting costs.
We are, however, still seeking a Sponsor to cover the additional cost of a fire alarm system which is required by Monterey County. The estimated cost of this system is $90,000. If you are interested in sponsoring the fire alarm system, please contact me at 831.385-4478, ext. 19 or email me at office@missionsanantonio.net.
Cost estimates for Phase 1 stands at $3 Million. Five months into this phase, we have spent about $1.5 Million. The estimated completion date for Phase 1 is June, 2015 and the project is expected to come in on target in regards to its budget. (Read More...)
Shedding Light on the Subject . . . an update on the Retrofit
By Joan Steele, Administrator and Franks Brenkwitz& Associates, Architects
November 2014
Mission San Antonio is still the Mission to visit if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is still quiet, isolated, beautiful and serene. . . at least it is from Friday morning through Sunday evening.
Monday through Thursday the crisp Fall air rings with the buzz of saws, the persistent knocking of hammers dancing on nail heads, and the whine of drills tunneling their way through the restored adobe of Harry Downey's era and onward into the historic original adobe.
Work on Phase 1 marches forward at a steady pace. Tim Gohr and his very capable Eagle Construction crew work hard and work well. Mission San Antonio is the fourth adobe Mission seismic retrofit for this seasoned group and their experience equals financial savings for us. Phase 1, originally estimated at $6.8 Million has been reduced to $3 Million for a number of reasons. (Read More...)
The Eagle has landed . . . at Mission San Antonio de Padua
Phase 1 of a Five-Phase Seismic Retrofit/Restoration Has Begun
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
August 2014
Excitement is in the air – as is a great volume of dust – as Phase I of our Five-Phase, multi-year seismic retrofit/restoration project of Mission San Antonio begins.
The buzz of the saws and the persistent knocking of many hammers broke the stillness of a cool summer morning on Monday, August 4th, 2014. By mid- afternoon the construction crew had erected a series of wooden supports designed to shore up the lower roofs, enabling them to withstand the additional weight of the incoming scaffolding required to get the crew to the site of their work space.
The California redwood tree located on the northeastern side of the church had to come down. The tree, displaying a decidedly stressed disposition, was growing too close to the church walls and was negatively influencing the stability of its foundation. Don't despair, though, as the redwood was cut into 16-foot sections and prepped appropriately to ensure it dries properly for later use. It is the intention of the Project Team to mill the wood when dry (estimated to take about one year) and to deliver it to Rancho Cielo Youth Academy. In the year, 2000, the Rancho Cielo Board was established as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization for the purpose of developing a comprehensive center of learning and social services for underserved youth in Monterey County. (Read More...)
Mission San Antonio de Padua's Earthquake Retrofit/Restoration Project Update
By Joan Steele, Mission Administrator
March 2012
Although it seems like only yesterday that the new non-profit 501 c-3, Campaign for the Preservation of Mission San Antonio de Padua was formed to raise the multi-millions that will be required to retrofit the Mission complex, it's actually already been about a year and a half. Many people are interested in what has been accomplished thus far and so I will attempt to give all of you an update.
The Discovery process, estimated to cost approximately $100,000 has been completed and the preliminary site work has begun. Expenditures, to date are $130,000. The Campaign Board has provided $80,000 toward this amount and the additional $50,000 was supplied by the Mission's restricted retrofit/restoration account.
During Discovery, core samples of the building fabric from the church walls and floor, convent walls, campanario and arcade columns were obtained and analyzed. Three strategic discovery pits were dug to examine the condition of the church foundation and a year-long surface water and soil percolation test was conducted, all yielding positive results. Two separate plumbers were retained to conduct independent pressure tests of the existing radiant heating system located in the church floor; once again, the results were good – no corrosion or leaks evident. Surveyors have produced an updated, fastidiously accurate, comprehensive site plan of the Mission grounds to aid in providing adequate drainage and ADA compliance issues. The grounds to the eastern and southern exposures of the church have been graded slightly to improve drainage of surface water away from church walls and foundation. Temporary rain gutters have been installed to address the splash back of rain water, now determined to be the major cause of water damage to the eastern wall of the church. (Read More...)