Father Serra went with the sea party which sailed on the
Paqueboat San Antonio. A number of Spanish dragoons from the fair
province of Catalonia, muleteers, and some of the convert Indians
recruited from the mission of La Paz were in the overland party.
On May 24th, 1770, the expedition reached Point Pinos on the Coast of
Monterey; after going south about six miles and encamping on a
picturesque spot on the shores of the Bay, the missionaries raised an
altar and Junipero Serra celebrated the first Mass on the shores of
Monterey on June 3rd, 1770. It is more than likely that the Carmelite
fathers who came here with Vizcaino had done so one hundred and sixty
eight years before, but as there is no official record of the fact, the
Mass celebrated on the improvised altar under the oak (which is
preserved in the premises of San Carlos Church, Monterey), is recorded
as the first. Mass over, Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Portola exhorted
the Spanish soldiers to hold to the traditional faith and purity of the
Spanish race, and to kindness to the natives, calling them "weaker
brethren who should be christianized, not debauched.
Pages:
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34