Mission San Diego de Alcalá Rosary — out now!

The Glorious Mysteries of the rosary at Mission San Diego de Alcalá are now available! Pray with us now on YouTube, our app, or our website! — Founded in 1769, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was the first of California’s 21 Spanish missions. Established by Junípero Serra, it marked the beginning of Spain’s religious and colonial expansion into Alta California. Often called the “Mother of the Missions,” it set the pattern for the mission system that would stretch north along El Camino Real. The mission you see today features white stucco walls, a peaceful courtyard garden, and a distinctive bell wall known as a campanario. Its simple church façade reflects classic Spanish Colonial design, with clean lines and a quiet sense of symmetry. Like the other missions, it was built with the labor of the local Kumeyaay people, whose lives were profoundly changed by its presence. Over the centuries, the mission faced hardship. It was burned during a Native uprising in 1775, later rebuilt, secularized by the Mexican government in the 1830s, and eventually restored. Today, it remains an active Catholic parish and a place of reflection. Visitors can walk through its chapel, explore small museum rooms, and pause in the gardens where history feels close and tangible. More than a landmark, Mission San Diego de Alcalá is a starting point. A place where California’s layered story of faith, conflict, resilience, and culture began.