Identifier: californiantrails00hall (find matches)
Title: Californian trails, intimate guide to the old missions; the story of the California missions
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Hall, Trowbridge
Subjects: Spanish mission buildings -- California California -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York : The Macmillan company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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true Spanish politeness, rededicated to the MadreSerafica, Santa Clara, foundress of the first communityof Franciscan nuns. Perhaps bored by the vain frivolitiesof her aristocratic life and falling under the wonderfulinfluence of Saint Francis, she was seized with the holydesire to become a sister of the church. Going to a con-vent she fell on her knees and implored them to receiveher. In a paroxysm of devotion she tore off her jewels,divested herself of her silken brocades and velvets andbowed her head to the shears that were to cut off herbeautiful long hair. A coarse grey habit was hastilyflung over her and trembling with joy she found herselfenrolled in the ranks of the champions of Poverty, whereshe became as famous for her austerity and piety asbefore for her wit and beauty. Her religious title isSanta Clara de Assisi, Virgen y Matriarca de su Cele-berima Religion, a somewhat high-sounding title for thehead of the poor Clares. Chance decreed that Santa Clara was to be materially
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w ■; W-. ■iT*: ■ :*-.n CALIFORNIAN TRAILS, INTIMATE GUIDE TO THE OLD MISSIONS 197 benefited by the edict requiring the padres to assume thetemporahties. When they hopefully set to work to gatherup the fragments remaining from secularization they soondiscovered that the old mission was destined to becomea most prosperous parish church. In 1851 they suc-ceeded in establishing the Santa Clara college, charteredwith all the rights and privileges of a university, whichsoon grew to such large proportions that it was necessaryto either tear down the old mission or renovate it outof all semblance to its former self. The hand of therestorer has been somewhat guided by reverence for thepast, and there still lingers for the sympathetic seeker aslight trace of the ancient flavor, despite the two moderndormitories winging the church on either side. Frontingthe mission is a memorial cross boxing within it theoriginal crucifix, and to the casual observer the interioris much as it was in the ol

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