Mission San Buenaventura is a Christian religious center that was established by Spanish Roman Catholic priests in California. The Franciscan missionary Saint Junípero Serra founded the mission on March 31, 1782, in what is now Ventura, California. Local Chumash Indians helped build the mission and were some of its earliest members. They built an extensive aqueduct and reservoir system for the mission, allowing the surrounding fields to bloom with orchards, vineyards, grain fields, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The settlement is named for Saint Bonaventure, a Franciscan friar of the 1200’s.
Mission San Buenaventura has survived earthquakes, fires, private ownership, and occasional violence. In 1833 and 1834, the Mexican government seized and redistributed properties that belonged to the missions. This action brought an end to the active involvement of missions in California.
In the 1950’s, Buenaventura’s church and gardens were restored to their original state. Surrounded by the modern city of Ventura, the mission is still an active Roman Catholic parish. Among the curiosities at the mission are two old, large wooden bells. A small museum displays Chumash artifacts and items from the mission’s history.
