Honoring the life and holiness of St. Junipero Serra
by walking in his footsteps along El Camino Real (The Royal Road)
from
Mission Santa Barbara to Mission Basilica San Buenaventura
August 12-13, 2023.

 Beautiful 10 minute pilgrimage video! (click HERE)

Prayer composed by Italian Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples
Prayed by Pope Francis
(as reported by CNS Rom correspondent, Junno Arocho Esteves, only very slightly adapted)

Forgive us for war, Lord,
Lord Jesus, son of God,
   have mercy on us sinners.
Lord Jesus, born under the bombs of Kyiv,
   have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus, dead in the arms of a mother in Kharkiv,
   have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus, present in the 20 year olds sent to the frontline,
   have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus, who continues to see hands armed with weapons under the shadow of the cross,
   forgive us Lord.
Forgive us that, if not content with the nails with which we pierced your hand
we continue to drink from the blood of the dead torn apart by weapons.

Forgive us if these hands that you had created to protect,
have been turned into instruments of death.

Forgive us Lord,
if we continue to kill our brother.

Forgive us Lord,
if we continue, like Cain, to remove the stones from our camp to kill Abel.

Forgive us Lord,
if we continue to justify cruelty with our efforts,
if with our pain, we legitimize the cruelty of our actions.

Forgive us the war, Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, we implore you
to stop the hand of Cain;
enlighten our conscience;
let not our will be done.

Do not abandon us to our own doing.
Stop us, Lord.

Stop us, and when you have stopped the hand of Cain,
take care of him also;
he is our brother.

Oh Lord, stop the violence.
Stop us, Lord.
Amen

Click here to learn about October 2023 travels.

Sister Mission Covenant

Recognized as the Head and Mother of all Missions in Alta and Baja California, the faithful parishioners of Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, founded in 1697 in Baja California Sur, and the faithful parishioners of Mission Basilica San Buenaventura, founded in 1782 in Alta California, commit to support each other in prayer to: witness the Gospel, cultivate our religious heritage, provide temporal resources and encourage pilgrimage to all the missions in the Californias in fidelity to Holy Mother Church, the Holy Father, our respective bishops and dioceses as Sister Missions.

For centuries Loreto was inhabited mainly by pericúes Indians, who lived from picking fruit, hunting and fishing. The arrival and unsuccessful colonization of the Spaniards in 1533, and the subsequent successful Jesuit missionaries in 1697, who established in this locale the first mission of the Californias led by Father Juan Maria Salvatierra, Loreto became the historic capital of Alta and Baja California until 1777. Loreto is the starting point for the historic El Camino Real corridor that follows north along the ancient route of the Spanish missions from Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó to Sonoma, in Alta California.

From Loreto, Franciscan Friar now Saint Junipero Serra planned the missionary expedition north to Alta California. In 1782, he established Mission San Buenaventura among the native Chumash Indians who inhabited the coastal areas for centuries and were known as "bead maker" or "seashell people" who as hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, recognized their dependency on the world around them. The Mission by the Sea across from the Channel Islands became the ninth and last mission founded by Saint Junipero Serra.

In 2015, our representatives in civic government adopted a Sister City relationship. Respectively, the two national parks off our shores have inaugurated a Sister Park/Sister Reserve Project: Bay of Loreto National Park-Channel Islands National Park and the University of California Natural Reserve System.

These initiatives will benefit the greater Loreto and San Buenaventura communities by creating new economic opportunities, facilitate cultural exchange and expand education opportunities for residents. With extended outreach and ecotourism programs, the business network and social fabric of our communities will be strengthened, benefiting present and future generations.

Unique to this relationship is the religious history of our missions, which is the foundation and very fabric of our mutual heritage that has sustained our communities for centuries.

These Sister partnerships may also support each other during natural disasters or other emergencies by raising funds or collecting needed-supplies. By sharing each other’s cultures through sister relationships, communities can gain insight into the history, values and spirit that make up their sister mission, sister city, and sister national parks and reserves.

Click here to learn about the Official Sister City Charter

UNESCO: Mexico-USA Mission Preservation

Acuerdo de Hermandad de Misiones

Conocida como la cabeza y madre de todas las misiones de la Alta y Baja California, los feligreses fieles de la Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, fundada en 1697 en la Baja California Sur y los feligreses fieles de la Misión San Buenaventura, fundada en 1782 en la Alta California, se comprometieron en apoyarse mutuamente en rezar a: ser testigos del evangelio, cultivar nuestro patrimonio religioso, proporcionar fuentes temporales y fomentar la peregrinación a todas las misiones en las Californias en fidelidad a la Santa Madre iglesia, el Santo Padre, nuestros respectivos obispos y diocesis como Misiones Hermanas.

Por siglos, Loreto fue poblado principalmente por indios pericues, quienes se sostuvieron recogiendo fruta, cazando y de la pesca. La llegada y fracaso de la colonización de los españoles en 1533 y la exitosa subsecuente llegada de los misioneros jesuitas en 1697, quienes establecieron en este lugar la primera misión de las Californias, guiada por padre Juan Maria Salvatierra, Loreto se convirtió en la capital historica de Alta y Baja California hasta 1777. Loreto es el punto de inicio del historico, El Camino Real, que continua hasta el norte junto con la ruta antigua de la misiones españolas desde la Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó a Sonoma, en Alta California.

Desde Loreto, el padre Franciscano, San Junipero Serra, planeó su viaje hacia el norte de la Alta California. En 1782, el estableció la misión de San Buenaventura junto con los indios nativos Chumash quien habitaron las areas costerias por siglos y fueron conocidos como “fabricantes de cuentas” o “gente de concha” quienes como cazadores, recolectores y pescadores, reconocieron su dependencia en su entorno. La Misión San Buenaventura fue la novena y última misión fundada por San Junipero Serra, la misión del mar, frente a las Islas del Canal.

En 2015, nuestros representantes en un acto cívico de gobierno realizaron una relación de ciudad hermana. Respectivamente, los dos parques nacionales inauguraron un proyecto de hermandad entre parques marinos: Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto, Parque Nacional de las Islas del Canal y el sistema natural reservado de la Universidad de California.

Estas iniciativas beneficiarán las grandiosas comunidades de Loreto y San Buenaventura creando nuevas oportunidades económicas, facilitando intercambios culturales y expandiendo oportunidades educativas para los residentes. Con el alcance logrado y los programas de eco-turismo, la red de negocios y social entre nuestras comunidades serán fortalecidos, beneficiando presente y futuras generaciones.

Unica en esta relación es la historia religiosa de nuestras misiones, la cual es la fundaciòn y nuestra mutuo patrimonio que ha sido sostenido a nuestra comunidades por siglos.

Este hermanamiento puede también apoyarse, uno al otro, durante desastres naturales u otras emergencias, recolectando fondos o viveres. Al compartir la cultura del otro, a través de relaciones hermanas, las comunidades pueden obtener una perspectiva mas profunda de la historia, los valores y el espíritu que componen la misión hermana, ciudad hermana y parques y reservas nacionales.

Pope Francis letter fto US Bisops on retreat, Janaury 1, 2019.

The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People is a comprehensive set of procedures originally established by the USCCB at the June 2002 meeting in Dallas for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The Charter also includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of future acts of abuse. It was revised in 2005, 2011, and 2018.

The Charter directs action in all the following matters:
 Creating a safe environment for children and young people;
 Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors;
 Making prompt and effective response to allegations;
 Cooperating with civil authorities;
 Disciplining offenders;
 Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board.

Click Here to read the Charter in English

Oprima  Aquí para leer la Carta en español

USA Impliments Ethics Reporting Process for non-compliant Bishops and Cardinals March 2019

Janaury 9, 2019: The PA grand-jury report: Not what it seems. Former Commonweal editor Peter Steinfels read the 1,300-page report closely, examining its contents and scrutinizing its findings. His conclusion: The stomach-churning abuse documented in the report is real and unconscionable, but the sweeping accusation that the church only sought to cover up the crimes of priests is contradicted by material found in the report itself. 

Pope Francis Issues  Mandate on Reporting Clergy Abuse in Vatican City, March 26 , 2019