Visiting Mission San Juan Capistrano

Are you interested in learning a little about California history? Visit an important piece of state history that is located in Orange County: Mission San Juan Capistrano!

Missions: a piece of California history

Mission San Juan Capistrano is one of many missions on the California coast that were made by Spanish Catholics. The church was built in 1776 (the same year the U.S. became a country, and decades before California was a part of the United States). Missions were all built to be within one day’s walking distance, and the missions are all along the coast of California. California students learn about them in elementary school and often visit them. Many tourists visit these churches each year.

The swallows of San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano is also famous for something surprising: birds! This mission is home to the American cliff swallow, a bird that lives in Argentina from October to March and then flies 6,000 miles (10,000 km) to the U.S. in the spring. For hundreds of years, the birds have visited Mission San Juan Capistrano every summer. The birds make nests in the mission’s eaves (under parts of the building’s roof). Today, the swallows are a symbol of the mission. In fact, every year the city of San Juan Capistrano holds the Fiesta de las Golondrinas (golondrina is the name for swallow in Spanish).

Important vocabulary

Before visiting the mission, make sure you know these words related to the Missions and to the swallows.

Founded

Definition: Started; built.

Example: The mission was founded in 1776.

Example: The mission was founded by Franciscan monks.

 

Settlers

Definition: People who come to a new place to live.

Example: The Franciscan monks were settlers who came to California to teach the Native Americans about the Catholic religion.

 

Convert

Definition: To change someone’s mind or way of thinking.

Example: The monks tried to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism.

 

Nest

Definition: A “home” birds make for their eggs.

Example: The swallows make nests in the church.

Note: this is also a verb, “to nest.”

 

Lay (eggs)

Definition: To produce eggs (as a bird)

Example: The swallows lay eggs in the nests.

 

Migrate

Definition: To travel from one area to another.

Example: The swallows migrate from Argentina to Southern California every year.

 

Don’t miss the swallows at Mission San Juan Capistrano! They are in Southern California from March to October every year. For more information, visit the mission website.