ission, even assisting Fr. Serra in packing the church goods for the three missionary settlements to be established in Upper California. The region around what is now the city of San Buenaventura was discovered only 50 years after Columbus had discovered the Island of San Salvador on the Atlantic Coast. That was in 1542 when Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived in the valley.
In 1602 another Spanish navigator came on the same scene, Sebastian Vizcßino. He was accompanied by three Carmelite Fathers, Fr. Andres de la Asumpcion, Fr. Antonio de la Ascension, and Fr. Tomßs de Aquino. Little was heard about the region for the next 127 years as the Indians continued their way of life until Christianity arrived to change their ways. That was in the spring of 1769 when, by order of the Spanish government, Don Joseph de Galvez, inspector-general of Lower California, sent an expedition to search for Monterey Bay and established a military garrison there. Along with this was established a mission for the conversion to Christianity of the natives along the coast (Engelhardt 3-7).
Fr. Serra blessed the site of the new mission, his ninth, near an Indian rancheria of 500 inhabitants. A cross was raised, High Mass was sung, and a sermon was preached by Serra. This would also be the last mission Serra would found. The mission was named for John Fidanza, born in 1221 at Bagnarea, in Etruria, Italy. He was dying as a child when he was restored to health by the prayers of St. Francis, and when the boy rose to his feet he exclaimed, "O buona ventura!," or "Oh, what good fortune!" After that the child was known as Buonaventura, and he later entered the Order of Saint Francis where he rose to the dignity of Minister General and became revered as the second founder of the Order. The Indians neighboring the mission gave their permission fo
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