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Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
The Americas have a long history of missionaries from the Old Country set on converting the natives primarily to the Roman Catholic faith. The Jesuits were initially sent to Baja California to teach Christianity to the local people and to minister to the soldiers and settlers who populated the forts and presidios. Their work was taken over by the Franciscans in 1767 when the Spanish government feared the growing power of the Jesuits. The mission of San Juan Capistrano was one of these missions and it has a fascinating history. It was aptly named the Jewel of the Missions and this is the title of Lorna Collins's book that documents its history and presents a stunning picture of what continues to be a local treasure.
Jewel of the Missions: San Juan Capistrano is an engrossing and educational read, accompanied by paintings by the much acclaimed Los Angeles artist, Robert L. Schwenck, whose vitality and passion for the realism and the spiritualism behind his works shines through each image. The book is short but well-researched and packed with interesting details documenting the mission’s long history. After a concise contents page, Lorna Collins begins with the early history that founded the mission in the mid-eighteenth century and the work of first the Jesuits and then the Franciscans for the local population and the beautiful architecture they created to honor and house their missionary work. I found this an engaging and intuitive read and I loved the detailed and spiritually concise illustrations.
