Many a time was Father Casanova
seen assisting the laborers with his own hands. And what a happy day it
was for Monterey when the first Mass was sung in the restored mission
after years of vandalism and neglect! The old statues which had escaped
the ravages of time were replaced in their niches, the sanctuary lamp
was re-lighted for the Sacramental Presence once more enthroned on His
altar and the organ pealed forth the ancient Latin hymns of the Church
once more. Another very significant event of this restoration was that
Father Casanova had the four bodies contained in the vaults of the
mission exhumed and placed on new vaults, built however near the
original spots "on the gospel side of the altar, within the sanctuary."
The four bodies are the remains of Fathers Junipero Serra, Juan Crespi,
Francisco de Lasuen and Julian Lopez. Another good outcome of this event
was that it exploded the utterly unfounded story that a Spanish ship had
carried away the remains of Junipero Serra to Spain. The vestments on
each body were found in a perfect state of preservation at the time this
work was done in 1882.
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