Gueribo Trip Report #4: Mission San Javier

Next we drove the beautiful road from Loreto to San Javier Mission. This canyon was part of the old Camino Real. I remember driving this road ten years ago, before it was paved. Now it’s a snap, but I still found myself driving slowly, taking in the views . . . cacti clinging to red hills, vultures perched on fences warming their outstretched wings, and a few burros threading through the ravines.



[Edited on 1-29-2019 by gueribo]

Las Parras is near the summit, at a natural divide. On one side, arroyos run to the gulf. On the other, they run to the Pacific.

There’s a small chapel here, and a ranch selling fruit and treats if you care to stop. Las Parras means “vines,” as Father Piccolo in his exploration encountered a thicket of wild grapevines in the canyon. There was an agricultural study done about ten years ago by friend and fellow sojourner Gary Nabhan, citing Las Parras as an early visita that still contains a number of “heritage” crops later planted by Jesuits—avocadoes, lemons, oranges, tangerines, grapes, guava, mangoes, olives, and plums.




[Edited on 1-31-2019 by gueribo]

We drove on toward San Javier, passing Rancho Viejo (the old mission site, sometimes called Javier Viejo), and Rancho Nuevo where Bule, his wife, and the mules live. A great launching point for a desert ride, if you have time.

Father Piccolo began mission efforts at the former site, and Ugarte reestablished the mission at the current location. The church is an arresting sight if you haven’t seen it before. At these missions, I find myself with a mixture of feelings. Admiration for the construction and the architecture, and sadness for what the arrival of the Spaniards meant for the indigenous population and their culture.

To the left of the church is a cemetery, sheltering the graves of townspeople as well as natives decimated by disease. In Spanish colonial times, it was common for parishioners to be buried under the church floor. But tombs were often compromised by water seepage, creating an unbearable smell and the danger of epidemics. Eventually a law was enacted that required a separate cemetery placed a certain distance from the church, though priests and important personages were still buried under the church floor. Often these graves were unmarked, so followers wouldn’t take relics.



[Edited on 1-29-2019 by gueribo]

Inside the church, there are a few embedded symbols. One is the recurring theme of the pomegranate. It’s a fruit symbolizing resurrection. There are several pomegranates tucked around the church. There’s one hanging over the door underneath the Jesuit symbol, and several on the ceiling inside.

There are also abbreviations of saints’ names on the church ceiling. La Virgen María, San Ignacio (founder of the Jesuits), San Francisco, San Pablo, San José, Santa Ana, and La Virgen María (who gets double billing). Here’s one of the María stones:

The gold retablo (altarpiece) in front was transported from mainland Mexico across the gulf, and carried in pieces by burros up the trail. Quite a feat. San Javier is the statue standing in the center.

Here’s the side door looking through to the cemetery. Again, the pomegranate!



There are also angel faces scattered about. This one looks pretty crabby.

Make sure you visit the mission museum. A lot of history here, including some items I haven’t seen elsewhere in my journeys—such as this unfolding box used for traveling and teaching.



Below is a page from the baptismal register, in Ugarte’s handwriting. The entries detail the date, who was baptized, whether the child was “legitimate,” who the parents were, and who the godparent was.

The nave of the church is the main area where parishioners sit. It’s called a nave—from the Latin word navis, for boat—to indicate that the sanctuary is like Noah’s ark . . . a place to shelter and escape the storm. Larger churches were always formed in the shape of a cross, and San Javier is no exception with its two side altar wings.



After our visit, we walked the one-street town, chatted with folks, paid a few pesos to use the bathroom, bought some guava empanadas at a little tienda, and headed off down the rough road to the visita of La Presentación.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Beautiful photos!

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks

Holy cow, I just learned a bunch of stuff! Thanks!

My first time up to San Javier was 11 years after this map was published. Only the paving of Hwy. 1 north from Loreto and west from Ligüí was different than depicted...

Thanks it's on the list to see. Might have to do some drone video for David K

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc

looking at the map -when did the name change from Chuenque to Juncalito?

Not a name change, just a neighboring ranch/fishing village. See page 155 of your Lower California Guidebook, 3rd or 4th editions (1962-1970)...
Both Juncalito and Chuenque are listed and detailed in the book, (0.4 mile apart) but the map only has one of them. The Jesuit ruined wall is mentioned at Chuenque... others call it the possible alternate Mission Ligüí location or simply the Puerto Escondido mission wall or as Gerhard says, a Jesuit visiting station.

From Jack Swords:


The well built, mortarless wall is 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide and quite long. It resembles other walls found at mission sites in Baja. Photo c Jack Swords

rock wall