Mission San Jose in San Antonio
by Joan Carroll
Title
Mission San Jose in San Antonio
Artist
Joan Carroll
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art
Description
It was a bright hot day and Mission San Jose near San Antonio TX. So I found a place under a tree for some photos. I didn't envy the pair in the doorway, who were doing the young man's senior high school photographs. He had several changes of clothes with him, but I really liked his poses with the saxaphone best! This mission is formally known as Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo. The front facade is elaborately carved and a beauty to behold. The facade features from the top: a cross, representing Jesus Christ, St. Joseph (San Jose) holding the infant Jesus, St. Dominic and St. Francis, Our Lady of Guadalupe (the Virgin Mary), and St. Joachim and St. Anne holding the infant Mary. I read that it had been 'renovated' but I could not find more definitive information on that The present wooden doors in the front facade were carved in 1937 by Peter Mansbendel to replace those removed in the 1880s. Using historic stereoscopic images, Mansbendel reproduced the original door design in 2.5 inch thich Black Wanut. Small doors fitted within the larger ones are used to enter the church. Mansbendel carved these doors in 6 weeks. Founded in 1720, it was built on the banks of the San Antonio river several miles to the south of the earlier mission, San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). San Jose was the largest of the missions in the area. At its height, the community contained about 350 Indian neophytes, sustained by extensive fields and herds of livestock. Viewed as the model among the Texas missions, San Jose was viewed as the model among the Texas missions and gained a reputation as a major social and cultural center. It became known as the "Queen of the Missions." Mission activities officially ended in 1824. After that, the buildings were home to soldiers, the homeless, and bandits. Thus the mission fell into disrepair. Much of what is visible today was reconstructed by the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s. Today, this is an active parish church in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The visitor center for all the San Antonio missions is also at this site, making it the busiest aside from the Alamo. The Spanish Missions in San Antonio are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the only one in Texas.
FEATURED PHOTO, Catholic Art Gallery group, 8/5/20
FEATURED PHOTO, UNESCO World Heritage Sites group, 8/5/20
FEATURED PHOTO, Churches group, 8/2/20
Uploaded
July 30th, 2015
Statistics
Viewed 4,499 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/25/2024 at 2:12 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
