The Garden

The garden became a formal part of the Mission after the rebuilding of the church in 1931. Represented in this garden are various plants such as palm trees, bougainvillea, allow vera roses. Within the garden are crosses made from original mission tiles placed in remembrance of all the Indian neophytes who died during the mission period. , The statue of St. Joseph represents the patron saint of the expedition to San Diego. Many people believed he miraculously saved the expedition and prevented the abandonment of the Mission after a novena of prayers for the arrival of a supply ship was offered by the padres and soldiers in March 1770 under Padre Serra's guidance. On March 19, St. Joseph's Feast Day, a ship was sighted on the horizon. The ship was headed for Monterey but sailed into San Diego because of a loss of an anchor. The men were spared from starvation and the sacred expedition to establish missions in Alta California continued. , Fr. Antonio Ubach and the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet conducted an Indian School at the Mission from 1891 to 1908. The large white building to the west of the garden was used as a girls dormitory. The wishing well statue of St. Francis of Assisi represents the founder of the faith Franciscan Order. Saint Francis dedicated his life to preaching, teaching the faith, caring for the sick, loving nature and restoring abandoned churches. The padres who established and worked at the 21 missions in Alta California were Franciscans.