Saturday and Sunday, June 12th and 13th, St. Joseph Parish will celebrate the 224th anniversary of the founding of “La Mision del Gloriosisimo Patriarca San Jose” on June 11, 1797.
On Saturday evening, June 12th at 5:30p.m., we will hold a special celebration of Holy Mass in the Mission Church. The 200-year-old Mission Bells will ring; Spanish music from the early days of the Mission will be played by Ronald McKean on our historic Rosales Opus 14 Spanish Organ; and the Presider will read the account from that day in 1797. Arrive early for limited seating and wear a mask for COVID compliance. The ceremony will also be streamed live via the St. Joseph Parish website at www.saintjosephmsj.org, and you may view it on a screen in the Main Church or from your own computer.
Special docent-led tours will be offered at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday by advance reservation. Space is limited, so sign up early at missionsanjose.org.
In the patio garden, you will see a large collection models of Old Mission San Jose on display throughout the weekend created by 4th Graders (with the apparent help of Mom and Dad) as a part of their school curriculum. You are guaranteed to be impressed by the quality of these models from kids all around California. These treasures were donated to us after fulfilling their school assignments.
For those who relish history, visit missionsanjose.org for an inspiring account of this day in 1797. And while on the website, view amazing videos and photographs in the Gallery or consider a purchase from our online Gift Shop.