san antonio miss

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Tour of San Antonio

The Missions of Texas

While in San Antonio there are five missions you, as a tourist, need to see. These missions are the mission of Nuestra Senora de la Purissima Concepcion, the San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, the Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Franciscode la Espada, and Mission San Antonio de Valero, The Alamo. They are all a great part of the state of Texas.
The Mission Concepcion was first built in East Texas in 1716, but they only stayed there for fifteen years do to hardships. After this it and two other missions moved to San Antonio. The missions were rebuilt on the San Antonio river on March 5, 1731. While Concepcion was built in east Texas just out of logs and thatch the new Conception was built to last it is still standing today. It was built so well it is the only mission in San Antonio that the walls, roofs, and other major structures have never collapsed. The Concepcion is not only the oldest standing stone church in Texas but in the nation. “Father Habig, historian for the Franciscan Order, states un-equivocally that ‘it is the oldest church of the Immaculate Concepcion of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States” (saconservation 1).
Many Indians came with Concepcion mission to San Antonio to start a new life. The Padres and the Indians built rough temporary structures made of thatched roofs to accommodate their living and worship needs. They planted crops and dug irrigation ditches for their food to eat. As they built permanent mission. They built the Concepcion mission in the design of the general mission plan of the time period. In time the Mission became a community. The Indians and the Padres built a stone wall around the mission compound. (saconservation 1) “Inside the enclosure were the usual buildings of the missions: a stone granary, a friary or convento for the priests apartments along the outer walls for the Indian families, various workshops and, of course, the church itself ” (saconservation 1).
While the permanent church was being built the people of the Concepcion Mission were having worship in temporary structures. The church was started in 1740, and completed and dedicated on December 8, 1755. Early church record describe the church in detail. (saconservation 1) “It was cruciform building of stone and mortar, having a vaulted roof with cupola, or dome, and two similar towers topped by crosses of Iron.

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