Mission Santa Clara de Asís, located in Santa Clara, approximately 40 miles southeast of San Francisco, was the eighth mission in the chain. Founded on January 12, 1777, by Father Tomás de la Peña, under the Presidency of Father Junípero Serra, the mission became the second of two Spanish settlements placed near the great San Francisco port to protect it from enemy attack or occupation. During its restless existence, Mission Santa Clara de Asis had six different churches and was relocated five times.
The Indians in the area were friendly but spent their time at thievery playing a game to see how much they could steal from the mission without being caught. Today, Mission Santa Clara is located inside Santa Clara University grounds. The University is the only one in the state affiliated with a mission due to a relationship that goes back to 1851 when the school was first established in the neglected remains of the church.
The present-day mission is a mix of new and restored buildings. The beautiful church, made of concrete and larger than the original, is a reconstruction of the last Mission Era church completed in 1825. Olive trees planted by the first Padres still grow in the gardens inside the adobe walls. These gardens at Mission Santa Clara contain more of the original flora than any other mission.
Location of Mission Santa Clara de Asís
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053, United States