Carmel Mission Foundation
Carmel Mission Foundation

Welcome

The Carmel Mission Foundation, Inc. is an independent non-profit organization formed to fund the restoration and preservation of the historic properties and artifacts of the Carmel Mission (Mission San Carlos Borroméo del Rio Carmelo) in Carmel, California.

The Carmel Mission was established in 1771 by Junipero Serra and is both a State and National Historic Landmark. It was the Headquarters for the California Mission System consisting of 21 missions.

The Mission is now in critical need of major repair and restoration. Deterioration due to age and issues of structural integrity must be addressed. This will be a multi-year/multi-million dollar project.


TRICENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN


The Foundation has launched a Tricentennial Capital Campaign in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Junipero Serra’s birth in 1713. To commemorate this Tricentennial, a memorial wall to honor Father Serra will be built in the main Mission courtyard. The 300 donors who support this Campaign with a gift or pledge of $5,000 or more, will have their names engraved on the Serra Memorial Wall.

Sketch of the Serra Memorial Wall

 
All supporters of the Campaign, regardless of donation amount, are welcome and will have their names inscribed in the Serra Memorial Register to be permanently housed in the Serra Library at the Carmel Mission - the oldest library in California.

The Carmel Mission is a major cultural, economic and educational asset in our community. Today over 450,000 California fourth graders study and visit the California Missions. The Carmel Mission itself has over 250,000 visitors each year and is fundamental to the cultural fabric and economic vitality of the Monterey Peninsula.

Over a century ago the Carmel Mission was facing physical ruin. The stone church was deteriorating and most of the adobe buildings were disappearing. On August 28, 1883, in commemoration of the upcoming Centennial of Father Junipero Serra’s death (August 28, 1784), a Proclamation went out to the people of California to restore the Carmel Mission. This Proclamation was signed by over fifty state dignitaries including the Governor of California, mayors, judges, government officials, bankers, educators and private citizens. In 1884 private funds put a roof back on the church structure preserving it until the 1930s when church and additional private funds became available to mount a full scale renovation.

Time has once again taken its toll on the Carmel Mission. Please help us now, as others have done in the past, to restore and preserve this national historic treasure by making your tax deductible donation today.

To learn more about how you can help with this restoration project, please visit our How to Help web page.

Thank You!
 

 



Click to Enlarge Proclamation                     
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