Mission San Luis Rey Parish

History


Welcome to Mission San Luis Rey Parish

The brown-robed friars here carry on the work begun by
St. Francis of Assisi over 800 years ago when he founded the Friars Minor in a small village in Italy. Franciscans established many missions in the United States and Mexico and devoted themselves to the spiritual and educational care of their parishioners. The first parish in this area began with the construction in 1798 of San Luis Rey, later to become the "King of the Missions", once the largest and most prosperous in the Spanish Americas. It began under the direction of Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, and was named after St. Louis IX, King of France, patron of the Secular Franciscan Order. The Mission Administrator, Father Antonio Peyri, would oversee the Mission over the next 34 years. Today, surrounded by the vast growth and development of Southern California, it is quite a contrast to the days of 1832 when there were 3,500 Indians attached to the Mission, more than 25,000 head of cattle and 50,000 sheep.

A dramatic change took place in the Mexican Government after it won its independence from Spain. Governor Echeandia came to California as an enemy of the Padres. Along with the governor came some prominent Californians who already were coveting the Mission lands. The confiscation and secularization was made complete and official when August 22, 1835, Padre Fortuni surrendered the inventory to administrators Pio Pico and Pablo de la Portilla. Selfish men plundered the Mission taking anything useful. Sadly, the Mission lay in ruins for almost a half century. It would be 46 years before another Franciscan would return to the Mission.

When California was finally admitted to the Union in September of 1850, the U.S. Land Commission went to work. Finally, the U.S. Courts decreed all confiscations and sales of Mission land illegal. March 18, 1865, less than a month before his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln signed the document returning the Mission San Luis Rey to the Catholic Church. Since 1865 only a fraction of Mission lands have been returned to the Franciscan Friars. From over 600,000 acres administered by the Missionaries, the Friars now own 60 acres at Mission San Luis Rey. Today, Mission San Luis Rey Parish no longer controls the land which included all of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista and Camp Pendleton.

In 1913, Mother Emma, the Mother Superior for the Sisters of the Precious Blood, sent the first Sisters to Mission San Luis Rey. They arrived to establish a school in support of the Franciscans of the Old Mission. As the school grew, larger facilities were needed. To help fill that need, the building that houses our current Old Mission Montessori Parish School and Offices was constructed in 1918 by the Sisters. They also built the Chapel and the Koi Pond, surrounding the building with beautiful trees and gardens. The McKeon Center was built in 1948 with additional classrooms, a gymnasium for the school, a kitchen and an outdoor play area for the children. The classrooms and living quarters of what is now the Parish Center served many generations of young women who were educated here until 1977 when the San Luis Rey Academy closed.

 

In 1970, Mission San Luis Rey and its 56 remaining acres of beautful grounds and gardens became a National Historic Landmark. The historic mission adjoins Mission San Luis Rey Parish and is a center for education and retreats staffed by the Franciscans. Many Franciscans have served as Guardians and Pastors of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. For a pastoral timeline, please click here. In 1976, our parish school, Old Mission Montessori was established. to provide a Catholic-Montessori education for children of varied social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. Our school provides a nurturing learning environment which encourages independence and creativity.

In 1978, Casa de Amparo rented a wing of the McKeon center for the purpose of providing safe emergency shelter and state-of-the-art treatment and intervention for abused, neglected and at risk infants, children and teens and their families in San Diego County. Also, in 1978, the Parish moved from the Old Mission onto its current property and became a Diocesan Parish staffed by Franciscan priests. Masses were still celebrated in the Old Mission and what is now the Parish Chapel, but because of growth, there was a need for a larger venue for Mass. Some of the Masses were so large, they were celebrated on the outdoor tennis courts. In 1981, the Parish/Diocese of San Diego first leased and then purchased the school land and buildings from the Sisters of the Precious Blood. The 30 acres of Parish property was divided from the Mission Property by the fence of the Mission parking lot and cemetery. The Sisters of the Precious Blood continued to serve the Parish until 2001 when the last Sister, Sister Mary Louise Ante, retired to the Motherhouse in Dayton Ohio. The Old Mission and Parish have been blessed by the service of the Sisters.

In 1991, the Parish started a major fund raising campaign to first build an extension on the McKeon Center and then construct the Serra Center. After the expansion of the McKeon Center was complete, Masses were moved indoors from the tennis courts and the Knights of Columbus began to use their new meeting hall. The tennis courts were converted to Roller Hockey Rinks to better serve the youth of Oceanside. In 1993 a major push took place and one half of the remaining funds needed to complete the Serra Center were donated or pledged. This allowed the Parish to borrow $2,400,000.00 from the Diocese and start construction. In September, 1996 the Serra Center was opened. In January 1997, our ten-year mortgage started and was paid off in 2006, thanks to the loving support of our parishioners..

A master plan was developed in 1993 to add additional facilities the Parish and Parish School, Old Mission Montessori, would need in the future. The Diocese and City approved basic plans, in addition to the Serra Center, called for additiional support buildings. These included classrooms, a ministry support building, an office building, a maintenance facility and a social concerns building and a new preschool.

 

As Oceanside has grown, so has our Parish. Since 1990, the Parish has grown from 2200 families to over 4,000. As a Parish, we draw parishioners from all over Oceanside; however, much of the much of the City's growth is within our Parish boundaries. Using SANDAG figures, we anticipate that the Parish will have grown to 4,775 famililies by 2010. The Franciscan's devotion to the spiritual and education needs of the parish community continues. As the population of elementary age children grows in North County, so will the need for good Catholic education. To meet this need, we will be expanding our Montessori School and Parish Religious Education program.

The future will be an exciting and challenging one. To move forward together into the future, each Parishioner is asked to demonstrate their faith and support for the priorities of the Catholic Church and our Parish by sharing their time, talent and treasure as a good Christian Steward. For more information on how you can get involved please contact the Parish Stewardship Coordinator. (760) 757-3250 X325.