San Antonio - Crucifix Mission San Jose
by Alexandra Till
Title
San Antonio - Crucifix Mission San Jose
Artist
Alexandra Till
Medium
Photograph - Photographs - Prints - Digital Images - Cards - Posters - Photo-calendars - Photo Art
Description
© Christine Till
San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, in the 1700s, was a fortress that looked like a typical medieval community. Daily living and survival were centered around the expansion of the Catholic church, and they were all connected to Spanish settlers in Texas. The mission is one of four historic Spanish missions on the San Antonio southside.
Much research went into trying to make certain the overall renovation was historically accurate, especially the Mission Church. The "retablo" or backdrop for the altar, defines the church's interior, serving to frame sacred statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Francis in recognition of the Franciscan friars who built the mission 250 years ago. It is made of Mexican red cedar with a Latino-inspired crucifix in the center. The priceless, hand-carved statues of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph date back to around the Spanish colonial era. The statue of St. Joseph was owned by the founding friar, Father Antonio Margil de Jesus. The Mission Church's interior walls are painted to recapture its original 18th-century colors.
Mission San Jose, the "Queen of the Missions," is not a museum, but a wonderful, historical, spiritual place that San Antonio has used for almost 300 years.
Uploaded
June 17th, 2014
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