Constitutional Amendment would make it OK to fund mission
renovations with public money
San Juan Bautista – The California State Senate is considering legislation that would amend the state Constitution, allowing historic sites that may have religious significance, such as the Mission San Juan Bautista, access to state funds.
“It’s very exciting that the missions are starting to get the recognition they deserve as historical sites in need of restoration,” said Dr. Ruben Mendoza, California State University professor and Project Manager of the Mission San Juan Bautista Conservation Program.
The Mission San Juan Bautista is one of the state’s most visited missions, due to its size and location – more than 200,000 visitors come to wander the mission halls and gardens each year, more than 60,000 of whom are elementary school students, according to Mendoza and the Monterey Diocese. California history and the significance of the missions are studied heavily in public fourth grade classrooms in California, and San Juan is a popular field trip destination for that age group.
Despite its popularity, however, Mission San Juan, like all California missions, cannot receive state funding because of its religious affiliation with the Catholic Church which owns the site.
“Traditionally, that (state and federal money) has not been a major source of support for us,” said Kevin Drabinski, Director of Communications for the Monterey Diocese, which oversees not only San Juan but six other of the 21 missions throughout the state. “Usually a mission depends on its own parish and the surrounding community.”
California State Sen. Abel Maldonado, (R- Santa Maria), announced SCA 32, the California Historical Preservation Act last week. It was Inspired by the $14 million in damage Mission San Miguel sustained in the 2003 San Simeon earthquake. Though the nonprofit group Friends of Mission San Miguel sought state funds from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment they were refused at the behest of the Attorney General’s office, which pointed out that funding a religious site with public money is forbidden in the state constitution.
The Historical Preservation Act would amend the state Constitution to allow nonprofit organizations to receive public funds to preserve historical buildings or sites regardless of current or past religious ties.
“The 21 missions are an important part of who we are as Californians,” said Maldonado in a press release. “Regardless of any religious affiliation they may have, these places are part of the California culture. To deny these and other historic sites in California the funds to preserve them because they have religious affiliations is wrong.”
Mission San Juan Bautista risks suffering significant damage from earthquakes, as it sits directly on the San Andreas Fault. Already the roof has sprung several leaks this year, and vegetation is growing under some of the roofing tiles and rotting the building material.
“If a million people visit the mission every year, that’s good, but they’re also taking something away every time,” said Mendoza. “It takes a lot of work to keep up with that.”
Mission San Juan Bautista is also unique enough to warrant state funds directed towards its preservation, Mendoza said, if Maldonado’s amendment is passed and is signed into law. It is the largest mission, and also boasts the largest collection of original paintings remaining on the site. The church also was constructed in such a way that the altar is illuminated by a beam of sunlight during the winter solstice, an architectural trick that makes San Juan stand out from the other missions.
“San Juan Bautista is a perfect example of the value of the missions,” said Drabinski. “It is a Catholic church and has an important role in the faith, but day in and day out it is toured by thousands, if not tens of thousands of students, who are studying our history, and is appreciated by anyone with an interest in who we are as the people of California.”
The San Juan Mission conducts regular religious services and functions just as any other active Catholic church in the country. Church figures state that 851 households are registered with the parish, more than the 567 households in the city of San Juan.
“I would hope that we can look at the California Missions the same we look at the Egyptian pyramids, as a part of our world heritage,” said Mendoza. “… It’s easy to take for granted what we have today, but we have to make sure that the missions aren’t lost on our watch, so that one day some visiting fourth-grader will be inspired like I was and become interested our history.”
