News

FOUNDATION LAUNCHES TRICENTENNIAL CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

In June 2010 the Carmel Mission Foundation announced its Tricentennial Capital Campaign. This Campaign commemorates the 300th anniversary of Junipero Serra’s birth in 1713. The goal of the Campaign is to provide funding to enable the Mission’s Basilica restoration to be completed by his Tricentennial in 2013. As part of this Campaign, a memorial wall will be built to honor Junipero Serra. The 300 donors contributing or pledging $5,000 or more will have their names engraved on the Serra Memorial Wall.

MISSION BELLS RESTORATION COMPLETED

In April 2010, the nine bells in the south tower returned from Cincinnati, Ohio where they were re-mounted and equipped with automatic strikers by the Verdin Company, the country’s oldest bell manufacturer. The re-mounting of the bells consisted of replacing the old ropes and wires with stainless steel concealed in rawhide. The automatic strikers will now allow the bells to be rung remotely as opposed to manually with ropes attached to their clappers. Two of the bells, Ave Maria and Animas, were cracked and replicas were recast in Holland. (Shown to the right is the Foundation’s President, Sam Wright, with the old and new Ave Maria bells.)

A special Blessing of the Bells celebration was held at the Carmel Mission on Sunday, May 2, 2010 where the bells were rung for the first time following restoration. This was followed by a reception sponsored by the Carmel Mission Foundation. A special thanks goes out to those members of the Carmel Mission Foundation who made this restoration possible.

CORNERSTONE NEWSLETTERS

The Cornerstone is the Carmel Mission Foundation’s periodic newsletter containing information on a variety of Foundation activities. It also features a column from the Foundation’s President. If you would like to receive the Cornerstone, join the Foundation’s mailing list by either contacting the Foundation Office or sending us an email with your name and address.

MEDIA COVERAGE

• Mission Preservation will raise the roof
  The Carmel Pine Cone  - 7/9/2010
• Mission seeks funds for refurbishment
  Monterey Herald, 7/3/2010
• Carmel Mission Foundation Receives $650k Grant
  The Californian, 6/15/2010
• Carmel's Historic Bells Reinstalled After Restoration
  Monterey Herald,  4/16/2010
• Bells Return to Carmel Mission (TV video)
  KSBW Channel 8, 4/15/2010
• Historic bells back at the Carmel Mission
  Central Coast News,  4/15/2010
• From the Bells Down, Mission Restoration Effort Begins
  The Carmel Pine Cone  - 1/29/2010

PRESS RELEASES

• The Carmel Mission Foundation Receives $650,000 Grant – Tricentennial Capital Campaign Launched 6/9/2010

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

The Foundation has prepared a PowerPoint presentation on the history of the Carmel Mission and latest restoration project.

If you would like to have a member of the Foundation make a presentation to your group, please contact the Foundation Office to make arrangements.

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