“Every moment a miracle, every footstep a prayer.” ~ Mary Carroll-Hackett
Above is the entry door to the chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano, or San Juan for short. Unlike the wide, ornate doors of Missions Espada and San Jose, this slender understated entrance stands out. But it’s not so unusual given the chapel’s design is different from the other mission chapels; its bright facade and elongated, very narrow shape are part of the mission’s defensive outer wall as the other mission chapels are built within the confines of the defensive walls. Meanwhile, the living quarters offered some of the most beautiful woodwork I’ve seen like the door below. The patina of the decorative buttons against the once-whitewashed weathered wood is quintessential American Southwest. It’s all gorgeous. All sturdy. All a testament to the fortitude and design of the mission inhabitants, native and transplant. The dry climate of San Antonio has been good for the missions.
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