San Ysabel Asistancia 2

Santa Yabel Asistancia Sanctuary (Tanya photo, 2009)

Odd how differently the towns developed from the missions of the old padres feel from the other towns and cities in California.

Of course they are older--but I think it is more than that.

They started for a different purpose than that of mere land development or good farm or ranch land or gold--they had a spiritual purpose--and I think that some residual effect lingers even after all these years--and perhaps even in the monster Los Angeles itself--which after all was built around Mission San Gabriel.

That spirit seems especially evident to me in such humble places as this little country church and cemetery.

Tomasito, 2009


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Santa Ysabel Asistencia

Santa Ysabel Asistencia (Tomasito photo)

We visited the Santa Ysabel Asistencia near Julian in north San Diego county a few days ago after a heavy rain.

This small church was founded in the time of the early missions of California--and, of course, the buildings have been rebuilt since the original adobe melted back into the earth long ago.

The church is in a beautiful country location--no town, no freeway, no tee-shirt shops--just a few cows, the small, intimate sanctuary and one or two other service buildings.

The cemetery is especially lovely to me--austere, but with the usual gay plastic flowers of a Mexican Catholic tierra santa--and, especially after the rain-- was a memento of eternity.

Tomasito, 2009


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