[Gocamino] Embarrassment of riches

[Grant Spangler]

The Franciscans indeed helped to get California settled.

The Jesuits were actually the first salvo of priests, but they fell from 
favor, were recalled to Spain, and the Franciscans were sent in their stead. 
Padre Junipero Serra was the most prolific of mission-founding padres, and 
established outposts a day's walk apart. Rather reminiscent of the Camino 
Frances and the towns, churches, hospitales and albergues we know. Some of 
those missions evolved into rather large metro areas, but the names remain: 
San Diego, San Bernardino, San Buenaventura (aka ‘Ventura’, my home town), 
Santa Barbara, and so forth on up to San Francisco. The original full title 
of LA was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de 
Porciúncula", rather a mouthful. Small wonder that an economy of words was 
employed to truncate the title to ‘Los Angeles’. The mission Nuestra Señora 
la Reina de los Angeles (‘Our Lady Queen of the Angels’) still exists, but 
alas as a reproduction on Olivera Street.

Grant

Grant Spangler
GASpangler at hotmail.com
http://groups.msn.com/ElCaminoSantiago
http://community.webshots.com/user/ElCaminoSantiago