RELIGIOUS LANDMARKS TO GET CASH FOR REPAIRS.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer MISSION HILLS - Its adobes are girded for earthquakes. Its grounds are fruited for visitors. Each Sunday, tourists flock to its historic sanctuary for Mass. But despite its appearance, the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Mission and 20 other centuries-old outposts of Spanish California are falling into various states of ruin. That is about to change, if Richard Ameil is successful. His San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden foundation has kicked off a $51.5 million fund-raising campaign Noun 1. fund-raising campaign - a campaign to raise money for some cause fund-raising drive, fund-raising effort crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported to help refurbish the San Fernando mission and others up and down El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
Eaten by beetles, ravaged rav·age v. rav·aged, rav·ag·ing, rav·ages v.tr. 1. To bring heavy destruction on; devastate: A tornado ravaged the town. 2. by earthquakes, robbed of artworks and worn by time, the mostly private landmarks need further preservation for future generations, said Ameil, founder of the California Missions Foundation (missionsofcalifornia.org). ``I got a message from the big man to help the missions,'' said Ameil, 53, a sixth-generation Californian whose great-great-great-great-grandfather was a Spanish soldier. Ameil, a former Olympic Committee fund-raiser, said he was called to save the missions while contemplating an icon of mission founder Father Junipero Serra at Mission Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. in San Francisco. Said the messenger, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Ameil: ``You will succeed as long as your mission is pure.,'' It wasn't long before Ameil had big-name support. Stephen T. Hearst of the Hearst Corp., whose family supported the missions throughout the last century, donated $500,000 and offered to chair the foundation. Gov. Gray Davis endorsed the campaign while American Indian groups, academics and preservationists jumped on board. The missions, aside from their historic significance, have inspired rooflines, furniture, literature and at least one fast-food chain. They are also graveyards to thousands of native Californians who built them, then fell prey to European diseases. But now they need help. In the San Fernando convento hangs a 17th century painting of the archangel archangel, in religion archangel (ärk`ānjəl), chief angel. They are four to seven in number. Sometimes specific functions are ascribed to them. The four best known in Christian tradition are Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. Gabriel - perforated by a nail from an irreverent visitor. Between 30 and 40 other paintings are darkened dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. and wrinkled with time. ``This artwork is priceless,'' said Monsignor Francis Weber, who has shepherded the mission for three decades. ``These paintings all need to be cleaned, redone re·done v. Past participle of redo. ; it costs between $5,000 and $7,000 each'' - about $200,000. ``We don't have the money.'' Since July, however, the Mission Foundation has raised $600,000 and donated $10,000, of which $8,000 went to the San Fernando Mission to restore a storeroom and display an 18th century Spanish crucifix and confessional. ``This room here, I had no funding,'' Weber said, admiring his treasures within. ``I had no way to get it open.'' Though the San Fernando mission, built in 1797, was restored by the church and the federal government after 1972 and 1994 earthquakes in the Valley, other missions aren't so fortunate. The San Gabriel Mission needs about $50,000 to restore its garden and patio, not to mention its artworks, administrators say. Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded on All Saints Day November 1, 1776 by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order. needs $5 million in seismic repairs; Mission La Purisima de Concepcion near Lompoc, $5 million; Mission San Jose, $2.5 million. Only two in the chain are funded by the government, Ameil says. All are in need of money. ``We don't get any funding from the state of California,'' Weber said. ``We haven't gotten any money from the government in 203 years'' - not counting the $1.95 million in federal assistance to restore all but the sanctuary after the Northridge Earthquake. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) The San Fernando Mission and many others in the chain of 21 California missions may get funding for repairs and other work. (2) Richard Ameil, a sixth-generation Californian and the founder of the California Missions Foundation, looks over a restored painting at San Fernando Mission. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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