without saying a few words about that worthiest of worthy movements to
restore the dear old missions of El Camino Real according to their
traditional lines, here again Reverend Father Mestres of Monterey
deserves the greatest credit in this enterprise, and the Knights of
Columbus of the California councils have proved themselves great helpers
in the plan. King Alfonso, his minister, Senor Juan Riano, the Marquis
de la Vega y Inclan who will be King Alfonso's representative at the
Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, are hearty supporters and sponsors of
this movement, and with cooperation from faithful friends and the
sanction of the Bishop of the diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles, we
have no doubt that these glorious landmarks, some of which have alas too
long been allowed to go to "wreck and ruin" while others are still more
or less neglected, after the cruel years which extinguished their
sanctuary lamps, left their altars bare and their belfries silent save
for the hooting of the night owls, will ere long be in the proper repair
to hand down with pride to posterity; and to further repair these holy
temples and place them under their historical and original plans the
most fitting priests to whom we could entrust them (at least wherever
the necessary satisfactory arrangements are possible) are Spanish
priests, compatriots of their founders, this too would serve to continue
and strengthen the old friendly relations between Spain and California,
and as whatever Spanish priests would take charge of the missions, would
be scholarly men speaking both English and Spanish, the English speaking
congregations would be well served. About three of the old missions are
under Spanish priests now. Let us then not cease our efforts until every
mission cross gleams gloriously in the radiance of the California sun,
until the devotional chimes of mission bells peal forth again from every
silent belfry, until the altar light beams again before each tabernacle
enclosing the Eucharistic Presence, until the empty niches contain again
the images which decked them as of yore, until each tomb of sainted