Mission San Antonio de Padua

Set in the peaceful and remote San Antonio Valley where springtime rains change green valley lands into waves of blue lupine and golden poppies and where towering oaks shade the lazy San Antonio River, is the Mission San Antonio de Padua, a quiet vestige of California's Spanish colonial origins.

California's third mission, Mission San Antonio was established in 1771 by Father Serra. At the time, there were no native people in sight, and at the dedication ceremony, Father Serra orated without an audience. Upon the timely arrival of a single member of the Salinan tribe, Father Serra believed his mission would be fruitful. At its peak, the community around Mission San Antonio grew to more than 1,800 people.

Mission San Antonio sits in practically the same setting as it did when it was founded. In fact, it has been said that Mission San Antonio is the only California Mission its founders would recognize today. Mountain lions, deer and wild turkeys still roam the vast oak savannahs, and unlike most lands surrounding California Missions, the San Antonio Valley has not been built up into a town – there are no modern buildings, paved parking lots nor traffic lights spoiling the view. The mission is its own serene entity; the focal point on a watercolor landscape.

San Antonio's dramatic solitude draws many groups and individuals to its sacred ground for reflective retreats. Some have been returning for 30 years or more and find that at nowhere else can they escape the modern world quite like Mission San Antonio.

Famous philanthropist and newspaper owner, William Randolph Hearst found the isolation of the San Antonio Valley an idyllic spot for a personal hunting lodge. Designed by Julia Morgan, the lovely Mission-Revival style hacienda went up on a nearby hill, overlooking the mission. The Hearst Foundation considered Mission San Antonio such a historic treasure that they generously contributed towards the original restoration in 1948.

The U.S. Army now owns Hearst's Hacienda and the vast valleys and mountains surrounding the mission. This makes Mission San Antonio the only California mission protected by the armed forces and guarantees that the land will stay undeveloped and remain as history remembers it for years to come.