From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in longhand the letter which follows. It was his response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. Dr. King, who was born in 1929, did his undergraduate work at Morehouse College; attended the integrated Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, one of six black pupils among a hundred students, and the president of his class; and won a fellowship to Boston University for his Ph.D.

Click here to read the complete Letter from Birmingham Jail

Welcome to the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura!...the Mission by the Sea! 

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, we hear Jesus commission His disciples (MT 28: 16-20): “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

This is our baptismal identity and calling…to be disciples of the Lord Jesus who is risen from the dead. To help us to remember who we are in Jesus and what we are called to do, you will see and read new signage in the back of the Basilica and in the foyer of O’Brien Hall. We are called to be DYNAMIC DISCIPLES.

A Dynamic Disciple Believes in Jesus as Savior.
A Dynamic Disciple Grows in following Jesus.
A Dynamic Disciple Gathers in a faith community.
A Dynamic Disciple Loves unconditionally.
A Dynamic Disciple Leads other to Jesus.

Jubilee Year: Septermber 2021-September 2022 Commemorates the 250th founding anniversary of our sister Mission San Gabriel.  For "everything Jubilee", please see the link above.

Click here to watch December 19, 2021 Mass with Archbishop Jose Gomez to commemorate the elevation of Mission Basilica of San Buenaventura.

Click here for a Jubilee Year Musical Tribute by Brien Alkire.

For recent or future ministies or events please view our parish bulletin link to the rightside of the website or view the calendar of events under "EVENTS" above.

Click here to view an exceptional video on the life and discipleship of St. Junipero Serra sponorded by the Kinghs of Columbus 2021.

Saint Junipero Serra First Annual Two-Day Walk July 25-26, 2021 from Santa Barbara to Ventura along the El Camino Real video clips:  No.1  No.2 

Click here to take a tour of the Mission with Fr. Tom and Joe Estevez as seen on "All Things Catholic" NETNY.TV Brooklyn, New York Television 

To help sustain the legacy of our historic MissionBasilica: please remember Mission Basilica of San Buenaventura in your Will or Trust planning.

"Siempre Adelante"  Shalom, Fr. Tom Elewaut

Recognition of the Contributions of Junipero Serra and the Mission Era
to the County of Ventura County

In a letter dated October 12, 2021, Supervisors Linda Parks and Carmen Ramirez proposed that the County of Ventura Board of Supervisors establish a subcommittee of themselves to “explore options for an updated County Seal…” They continued: “Our current seal was adopted in 1964 and while we appreciate its historical value, some of the images featured are no longer representative of Ventura County and we believe it is time for an updated County seal.”

In 2020 the County commissioned a new logo which is not a replacement for the County’s official seal, they also noted.

Parishioners and citizens of Ventura who value the contributions of Junipero Serra and the Mission era which need to be distinguished from the rule of the Spanish Crown, are invited to express their opinions to the County Board of Supervisors to retain the relevance and image of Junipero Serra and the Mission era which remains relevant to the agriculture, commerce, and culture throughout the County. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION DOWNLOAD HERE

It is incredible that the Board of Supervisors of this great county would consider the removal of Serra’s image given the broad contemporary academic research on him and the Mission era. Perhaps a different pair of supervisors than the ones proposing the changes would be a more objective subcommittee. Better yet, it would be far more constructive for the Board of Supervisors to appoint a large committee of educated, capable and qualified citizens to examine the matter over a period of time sufficient to obtain clarity and the necessary knowledge to make a wise set of recommendations.

The Supervisors would do well to read (particularly pp. 205-245) Junipero Serra: California, Indians, and the Transformation of a Missionary by Robert M. Senkewicz, a professor of history and Rose Marie Beebe, a professor of Spanish literature who spent 15 years of research for the book. Dr. Beebe studied the language of Serra’s day to best translate his letters and diaries. Among other credible works, they would do well to study these three books:

Junipero Serra: California, Indians, and the Transformation of a Missionary by Robert M. Senkewicz and Rose Marie Beebe, 2015, University of Oakland Press.

Journey to the Sun: Junipero Serra's Dream and the Founding of California by Gregory Orfalea, 2014, Simon & Schuster.

Junipero Serra: California's Founding Father by Steven W. Hackel, 2014, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Supervisors Parks and Ramirez seek community input and will soon bring a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. Please contact our County of Ventura Board of Supervisors to express your opinion.

Members of the County Board of Supervisors: Linda Parks, Chair, Matt LaVerre, Kelly Long, Robert O. Huber, and Carmen Ramirez, Board of Supervisors, County of Ventura, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009 or www.ventura.org/board-of-supervisors/