First MassJuly 23, 1769
| Location | Cristianitos Canyon, near San Onofre |
|---|---|
| State/Territory | California |
| County | San Diego |
| Modern Diocese | Diocese of San Diego |
| Historical Diocese | Diocese of Guadalajara(?) |
| Date | July 23, 1769 |
| Priest | Fray Juan Crespí, Fray Francisco Gómez, OFM |
| Religious Order | Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) |
| Rite | Roman (Latin) Rite |
| Expedition | Portola Expedition — see the full route, The Portolá Expedition (1769–1770) → |
| Confidence | confirmed |
Photos
Documentation
- Crespi Journal (Bolton, ed., "Fray Juan Crespí: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774")
Notes
Recorded in Crespi's diary: "After we two had said Mass we started at seven o'clock," a Sunday. The camp was at the site the soldiers called "Los Christianos" and Crespi named "San Apolinario," the day after two dying Indian infants were baptized there (hence the alternate name "Valley of Los Bautismos"). Bolton's editorial footnote identifies the spot as Cristianitos Canyon, north of San Onofre, San Diego County. Geolocating at the historical marker for the first baptism in California.
← Back to the full map & timeline