Studying the California Missions is standard fourth grade curriculum in northern California. My son, Nicholas, studied the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. Since kindergarten, he was eager to create a diorama of a Mission. For four years he observed with keen intensity the dioramas on display in his school library. So when it came time to design his own, he knew exactly how he wanted it to look. The process was a group effort with our family. I loved being a part of his creation and sharing in his enthusiasm. Three years later, my daughter, Emma, studied the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. However, her teacher had the children work in small groups to create the missions together in class. The team collaboration helped the children learn how to work together on projects. There were certainly some conflicts, but all in all the kids enjoyed the process. Emma had some very original ideas, like using press-on nails as the clay tiles for the roof. It turns out that was cost prohibitive. Two of the children from the group were picked to bring the missions home. Emma was one of them. We had the huge diorama on display in our home for two months, then, thankfully, we gave it to her classmate for safekeeping.
Our family spent the past weekend in Carmel for the 4th of July holiday weekend. The ubiquitous Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was full of visitors and hosted a wedding on Saturday. My husband and I have been to two weddings in the beautiful chapel. It is a romantic and ethereal setting for a wedding ceremony. The mission is considered to be the most beautiful of all the California missions. It was founded on June 3, 1770 and was the second in the mission chain. Father Junipero Serra made it his headquarters, and was laid to rest there in 1784. After secularization, the mission was abandoned and stood roofless until 1884, when the process of restoration was started. In 1931 Harry Downie was appointed as curator in charge of the full restoration. In 1933, it became an independent parish, and in 1987, Pope John Paul II visited the mission. It remains an active church today.
California Girl Exploring Art 