JOLON — Mission San Antonio de Padua will present its annual Day of the Dead event Saturday, Oct. 28, and the community is invited.
A Roman Catholic Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. in the 204-year-old Mission San Antonio Great Church. Members of the choirs from St. Rose of Lima and Mission San Miguel will present Mission-era music, under the direction of John Warren.
Day of the Dead is an annual event to celebrate and honor the area’s ancestors, both the Salinan people who helped build the Mission and the Franciscan Fathers who ventured here to spread the “good news.”
After Mass, members of the Salinan tribe will lead a procession to the cemetery and pay tribute to the ancestors with recitations in the native language of this region. Organizers said it is a “moving, spiritual experience to share in this beautiful cultural event at Mission San Antonio.”
A light reception will follow, free of charge.
Mission San Antonio de Padua, the third oldest Spanish mission in California, was founded by Junipero Serra in 1771. The Mission is a state historical landmark and is on the national register of historic places. The Mission remains an active Catholic parish and retreat center.
The Mission is located at Fort Hunter Liggett off Jolon Road, at 1 Mission Road in Jolon. For more information, visit the website www.missionsanantonio.net or call 831-385-4478 ext. 17.
