Basilica · Ventura

Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura

211 E. Main Street, Ventura, California, 93001

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Mass & sacrament times

Regular weekly schedule. Contact the parish for holy days and special services.

Mass Times

Sunday7:15 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 12:30 PM

Monday9:00 AM

Tuesday7:30 AM

Wednesday7:30 AM

Thursday7:30 AM

Friday7:30 AM

Saturday5:30 PM, 7:30 PM

Confession Times

Saturday4:00–5:00 PM

Adoration Times

Monday6:00 AM–11:55 PM

Basilica · Est. Founded March 31, 1782 (present church dedicated 1809)

History & Significance

Mission Basilica San Buenaventura was founded on March 31, 1782, by Saint Junípero Serra, who personally dedicated it with a High Mass; it was the ninth of the 21 Spanish missions in Alta California and the last founded during Serra's lifetime. Named for the 13th-century Franciscan Doctor of the Church Saint Bonaventure (San Buenaventura), the mission's present stone church was completed and dedicated on September 9, 1809, surviving damage from the December 8, 1812 earthquake. The mission remains an active Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in downtown Ventura. On June 9, 2020, Pope Francis elevated the church to the status of a minor basilica, with the announcement made public on July 15, 2020, the feast of Saint Bonaventure.

Est.Founded March 31, 1782 (present church dedicated 1809)PatronSt. BonaventureRectorFather Maurice Harrigan (effective July 1, 2026)DioceseArchdiocese of Los Angeles

Why belong here

Mission Basilica San Buenaventura offers the rare experience of worshipping in an active parish inside a living 1782 California mission — the only one in Ventura and the first basilica in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. A bilingual (English and Spanish) community of roughly 1,200 families gathers around a richly restored Spanish-colonial church that still contains a 400-year-old crucifix from the Philippines, a relic of the True Cross, and the original Chumash-built aqueduct system. Daily Mass, perpetual-style Eucharistic Adoration in the Serra Chapel, Saturday confessions, a children's religious education program (K–8), a two-year youth Confirmation process, an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program, an adult and children's choir tradition, Holy Cross School (pre-K through 8th grade), a thriving St. Vincent de Paul conference, and a year-round cycle of feast days and mission festivals make it both a pilgrimage destination and a tight-knit local parish.

The founding of San Buenaventura Mission traces back to Palm Sunday, March 30, 1749, when the Franciscan priest Junípero Serra decided to journey to the New World as a missionary to the native peoples. Thirty-three years and one day later, on Easter morning, March 31, 1782, Serra raised the Cross at 'la playa de la canal de Santa Barbara' (the beach of the Santa Barbara Channel). Assisted by Padre Pedro Benito Cambon, he celebrated a High Mass, preached on the Resurrection, and dedicated a mission to San Buenaventura (St. Bonaventure). It had been planned as the third in the chain of twenty-one missions founded by Serra, but delays caused by the unavailability of military escorts meant it became the ninth and last mission founded during his lifetime, and one of six he personally dedicated. The first padres assigned to the new foundation were Fray Benito Cambon, Fray Vincente de Santa María, and Fray Francisco Dumetz, who worked among the Chumash people of the Ventureño village of Mitsquanaqa'n. The Mission's first church building was destroyed by fire. The construction of a second church was abandoned because 'the door gave way.' In 1792 work was in progress on the present church and the small utility buildings which (with the church) formed a quadrangle enclosing a plaza. Although half finished in 1795, the church was not completed until 1809; dedication was held September 9 of that year and the first liturgical services took place September 10. At about that time the San Miguel Chapel (at the present corner of Thompson Boulevard and Palm Street) and the Santa Gertrudis Chapel (Highway 33 near Foster Park) were completed. Under the direction of Padre Cambon, whom Serra left in charge of the new Mission, a system of aqueducts were built by the Chumash between 1805 and 1815 — both ditches and elevated stone masonry — running about seven miles from the Ventura River to holding tanks behind the Mission. With plentiful water the Mission was able to maintain flourishing orchards and gardens, which were described by English navigator George Vancouver as the finest he had seen. The entire water distribution system was destroyed by floods and abandoned in 1862. In the early nineteenth century, the Mission was repeatedly tested: a series of earthquakes and an accompanying tidal wave in 1812 forced the padres and Indian neophytes to seek temporary shelter a few miles inland, and six years later the padres had to remove sacred objects from the church and flee into the hills to elude an attack by the Argentine pirate Hippolyte de Bouchard. Three padres are buried behind the Mission building: Padre Vicente de Santa Maria (d. July 16, 1806), Padre José Senan (d. August 25, 1823), and Padre Francisco Suñer (d. January 17, 1831). In 1833 the Mexican government issued a secularization decree divesting the padres of administrative control over the Missions; in 1845 San Buenaventura Mission was rented to Don José de Arnaz and Narciso Botello and was later illegally sold. Shortly after the erection of the Diocese of Both Californias in 1840, the Franciscan friars surrendered the Mission and it was named a parish church, with Father José María Rosales listed as the first pastor. After California became a state of the Union, Bishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany petitioned the United States Government to return the Mission's church, clergy residence, cemetery, orchard, and vineyard to the Catholic Church; the request was granted in a Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln on May 23, 1862. The 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake severely damaged the Mission, and its tile roof was replaced by a shingle roof. In 1893 Father Cyprian Rubio (pastor 1878–1896) 'modernized' the interior of the church, painting over the original artwork; when he finished, little of the old church was untouched — windows were lengthened with five 4'x12' stained-glass panels, the beamed ceiling and tile floor were covered, and the remnants of the quadrangle were razed. During the forty-year pastorate of Father Patrick Grogan (a native of County Roscommon who died in 1939), the roof of the church was once again tiled, the convent and present rectory were built, a new fountain was placed in the garden, and the Mission museum was established. Msgr. Daniel Hurley, also from County Cork, came to San Buenaventura in 1922 when Holy Cross School was built and directed the parish for fifteen years (1939–1954) before founding Our Lady of the Assumption in Ventura. Holy Cross School, originally a four-classroom structure, was dedicated in 1922, expanded in 1925, and renovated out to Main Street in 1949. Father Aubrey J. O'Reilly (pastor 1955–1975), a native Angeleno and decorated Army chaplain, supervised a major 1956–1957 restoration that reconstructed the windows to their original size and uncovered the ceiling and floor. A parishioner commissioned an angelus bell that hangs in the bell tower above the four ancient hand-operated bells. In 1976 the entire roof of the church was removed and replaced, and in December of that year Cardinal Timothy Manning solemnly consecrated the church. Msgr. Francis Weber served as pastor 1975–1981, and in 1982 the Mission marked its bicentennial. Msgr. Patrick J. O'Brien, a native of County Clare, Ireland, then led the parish for 24 years, forming a Planning and Development Committee that in 1994 hired MainStreet Architects to design a new school and multi-purpose building. The old convent was deconstructed and the Holy Cross Sisters moved to St. Catherine by the Sea; in January 2001 a new three-story Holy Cross School (pre-kindergarten through eighth grade) was dedicated at the base of the hill behind the Mission, housing the Serra Chapel for Eucharistic Adoration, adult classrooms, a parish/school kitchen, and a large assembly hall named the O'Brien Hall after Msgr. O'Brien, who died in 2005. The Mission celebrated its 225th anniversary with year-long events in 2006–07, and on June 9, 2020, Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica — the first in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — with the announcement proclaimed by Archbishop José Gómez on July 15, 2020.

Architecture

Spanish Colonial / California Mission style, with a stone and adobe church and bell tower

Pastors & rectors through the years

Fray Junípero Serra, O.F.M.1782
Founder; celebrated the founding Mass with Padre Pedro Benito Cambon on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782.
Fray Pedro Benito Cambon1782–c.1800s
First missionary left in charge of the Mission by Serra; built the seven-mile aqueduct system with the Chumash (1805–1815). Buried on Mission grounds (d. 1831 according to some accounts).
Fray Vicente de Santa María1782–1806
Founding missionary assigned with Cambon and Dumetz; buried behind the Mission (d. July 16, 1806).
Fray Francisco Dumetz1782
Founding missionary.
Fray José Senanearly 1800s
Buried behind the Mission (d. August 25, 1823).
Fray Francisco Suñerearly 1800s
Buried behind the Mission (d. January 17, 1831).
Father José María Rosalesafter 1840
Listed by the Archdiocese as the first parish pastor after the Franciscans surrendered the Mission in 1840 and it became a parish church.
Father Cyprian Rubio1878–1896
In 1893 he controversially 'modernized' the interior, painting over original artwork, lengthening windows with dark stained glass, covering the beamed ceiling and tile floor, and razing the remaining quadrangle.
Father Patrick Groganc.1899–1939
Native of County Roscommon, Ireland; served approximately 40 years. Re-tiled the church roof, built the present rectory and convent, placed a new fountain in the garden, and built the Mission museum. Died 1939.
Msgr. Daniel Hurley1939–1954
Native of County Cork; first came to San Buenaventura in 1922 when Holy Cross School was built. Directed the parish 15 years, then served 18 years as founding pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, Ventura. Died 1982 at age 88.
Father Aubrey J. O'Reilly1955–1975
Native Angeleno ordained 1932; decorated Army chaplain (retired Lt. Col.). Supervised the 1956–1957 restoration that returned the windows, ceiling and floor to their original appearance. Died 1977 at age 70.
Msgr. Francis Weber1975–1981
Longtime friend of Msgr. O'Brien and mission historian.
Msgr. Patrick J. O'Brienc.1981–2005
Native of County Clare, Ireland; previously Episcopal Vicar for the Santa Barbara Region; named Protonotary Apostolic in 1995. Oversaw the 1994 Master Site Plan by MainStreet Architects and the 2001 dedication of the new Holy Cross School/Multi-Purpose Building (O'Brien Hall named in his honor). Died 2005 at age 74.
Father James Anguiano2005–?
Ventura native ordained from St. John's Seminary; later director of the Juan Diego House of Formation in Gardena.
Father Michael Carceranoc.2008–2011
Native of Torrance ordained from St. John's; previously 12 years as pastor of St. Rose of Lima, Simi Valley; came from the Archdiocese's Judicial Vicar's Office.
Father Tom (Thomas) Elewaut2011–2026
Native of Wisconsin; taught and served as high school principal for almost 25 years at St. Joseph (Santa Maria) and Bishop Garcia Diego (Santa Barbara). Now Pastor Emeritus.
Father Preston Passosappointed 2025, did not take office
Named next pastor but resigned from the appointment due to ongoing recovery from open-heart surgery in 2025; entered sabbatical.
Father Maurice Harrigan2026–present
Native Angeleno from Glendale, one of ten children; Mount St. Mary's Seminary (M.Div. and M.A. in Church History); ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1996; previously served U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton, youth in state prisons, and the Missionaries of Charity of St. Teresa of Calcutta; pastor of Mary Star of the Sea, San Pedro (2014–2026). Effective July 1, 2026.

Notable facts

Founded March 31, 1782, by St. Junípero Serra
Ninth of the 21 Alta California missions and the last founded in Serra's lifetime
Present church completed and dedicated September 9, 1809
Elevated to minor basilica by Pope Francis on June 9, 2020
Active parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in Ventura, CA

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About Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura · Ventura, California

Mission Basilica San Buenaventura is a Roman Catholic parish and minor basilica in downtown Ventura, California, founded on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782 by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra as the ninth of California's twenty-one Spanish missions. It was the last mission Serra personally founded and one of six he personally dedicated, and remains an active parish serving roughly 1,200 registered families. On June 9, 2020, Pope Francis elevated the church to the status of minor basilica — the first in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — and the parish was officially renamed Mission Basilica San Buenaventura. The basilica still contains the original Spanish-colonial church, an adjacent garden, a museum of Chumash and mission-era artifacts, and a 400-year-old crucifix from the Philippines.

Established: 1782
Patron: St. Bonaventure
Rector: Father Maurice Harrigan (effective July 1, 2026)
Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Why belong here

Mass times at Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura

Weekly Mass schedule

Sunday7:15 AM9:00 AM10:45 AM (Spanish)12:30 PM

Monday7:30 AM (Bilingual)

Tuesday7:30 AM (Bilingual)

Wednesday7:30 AM (Bilingual)

Thursday7:30 AM (Bilingual)

Friday8:15 AM (Bilingual (Holy Cross School Mass, school year))

Saturday Vigil5:30 PM7:30 PM (Spanish)

First Friday8:15 AM (English (school year; 7:30 AM in summer))7:30 PM (Spanish)

Holy Days of Obligation7:30 AM12:00 PM6:00 PM7:30 PM (Spanish)

Thanksgiving / New Year's Day9:00 AM (Bilingual)

Confession times

Saturdays 4:00 PM in the Basilica
By appointment (call Parish Office 805-643-4318)
Friday 5:00–6:00 PM (English/Spanish, as long as needed, per third-party listing)

Adoration times

Eucharistic Adoration in the Serra Chapel: Monday 6:00 AM through Thursday 6:00 AM (continuous, 72+ hours)
Adoración Eucarística en la Capilla Serra: lunes 6 AM a jueves 6 AM

About Mission Basilica San Buenaventura

Mission Basilica San Buenaventura is the only California mission to sit directly on the Pacific coast in the historic Mission-by-the-Sea position. Founded in 1782 by St. Junípero Serra and home to roughly 1,200 registered families, it became the first minor basilica in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on June 9, 2020. Today the parish combines an active bilingual Catholic community, Holy Cross School, a museum and gift shop, and the Serra Chapel of perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — all on the original 1782 mission site on East Main Street in downtown Ventura.

History of the Mission

San Buenaventura was the ninth and last mission personally founded by St. Junípero Serra, dedicated on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782 at 'la playa de la canal de Santa Barbara.' The present church was begun in 1792, half-finished by 1795, and completed and dedicated in 1809. It survived the 1812 earthquakes and tidal wave, the 1818 pirate attack of Hippolyte de Bouchard, Mexican secularization in 1833, the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, and the 1893 'modernization' that painted over its original artwork. It was returned to the Catholic Church by President Abraham Lincoln's proclamation of May 23, 1862. Major 20th-century restorations under Father Aubrey O'Reilly (1956–57) and the 1976 roof replacement, followed by Cardinal Manning's consecration, returned the church to substantially its early-19th-century appearance. In 2020 Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica.

Founded March 31, 1782 (Easter Sunday)
Present church completed and dedicated September 9, 1809
Returned to Catholic Church by Lincoln proclamation, May 23, 1862
Major restoration 1956–1957
Roof replaced and church consecrated by Cardinal Manning, December 1976
Bicentennial celebrated in 1982
Elevated to minor basilica by Pope Francis, June 9, 2020

Patron Saint: St. Bonaventure

The mission is named for St. Bonaventure (1221–1274), a 13th-century Italian Franciscan cardinal, philosopher, Doctor of the Church, and one of the early leaders of the Order of Friars Minor to which the California missionaries belonged. His feast day is celebrated at the basilica every July 15 — the same date in 2020 on which Archbishop José Gómez officially proclaimed Pope Francis's elevation of the church to a minor basilica.

Patron: St. Bonaventure, O.F.M. (Doctor of the Church)
Feast day: July 15
Statue of St. Bonaventure above the tabernacle

Architecture, Art and Sacred Relics

The basilica is built in the traditional Spanish Colonial / California Mission style in thick adobe walls with beamed ceilings and tile floors, the latter two uncovered during the 1956–57 restoration. The interior preserves a 400-year-old crucifix from the Philippines, a statue of St. Bonaventure above the tabernacle, a shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, a replica of Michelangelo's Pietà, and 1st- and 2nd-class relics (including a relic of the True Cross). The bell tower holds four ancient hand-operated bells plus a modern angelus bell donated by a parishioner. Outside, the garden contains a grotto, the padres' burial area, and the settling tank from the original seven-mile Chumash-built aqueduct system.

400-year-old crucifix from the Philippines
Replica of Michelangelo's Pietà
Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Relic of the True Cross of Jesus
Four ancient hand-operated bells plus modern angelus bell
Adobe walls with original beamed ceiling and tile floor
Garden with grotto, padres' burial area and aqueduct settling tank

Historic Designations

The Mission is recognized at the federal, state, and local levels as a landmark of exceptional historic importance.

U.S. National Register of Historic Places (designated 1975, reference #75000496)
California Historical Landmark #310
Locally designated landmark in downtown Ventura

Mass and Sacraments

The basilica celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish. Weekend schedule: Saturday Vigil at 5:30 PM (English) and 7:30 PM (Spanish); Sunday at 7:15 AM, 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM (English) and 10:45 AM (Spanish). Daily bilingual Mass is celebrated Monday through Thursday at 7:30 AM and Friday at 8:15 AM (a Holy Cross School Mass during the school year). First Friday Masses are celebrated in English at 8:15 AM and in Spanish at 7:30 PM. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered Saturdays at 4:00 PM in the basilica or by appointment. The Serra Chapel hosts continuous Eucharistic Adoration from Monday 6:00 AM through Thursday 6:00 AM each week.

Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM English, 7:30 PM Spanish
Sunday: 7:15, 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM English; 10:45 AM Spanish
Weekday bilingual Mass Mon–Thu 7:30 AM; Fri 8:15 AM (school Mass)
First Friday: 8:15 AM English and 7:30 PM Spanish
Reconciliation: Saturdays 4:00 PM or by appointment
Eucharistic Adoration: Mon 6 AM – Thu 6 AM in Serra Chapel

Baptism, Marriage, Anointing and Funerals

All sacraments are arranged through the Parish Office (805-643-4318). Baptism and Marriage are by appointment, with Marriage requiring a minimum of six months' notice and online preparation through Agape Ministries or the Archdiocese. The Anointing of the Sick and Eucharistic Ministry to the Sick are available on request. Funerals are arranged first through the funeral director; a Funeral Mass stipend applies and liturgy-planning materials are available in English and Spanish.

Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation

The parish runs a comprehensive faith-formation program under the direction of Sr. Mary Rose Chinn, +JMJ (Catechetical Leader) and Elwin Arroyo (Confirmation Coordinator/Youth Ministry). Children's Religious Education runs from kindergarten through eighth grade on Saturdays September through mid-May. The two-year high school Confirmation process meets three hours twice a month including Sunday Mass. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA / RCIA) meets weekly to welcome adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church. Catechists and helpers are parish volunteers who complete VIRTUS training through the Archdiocese.

Children's Religious Education (K–8), Saturdays, September–May
High School Confirmation (two-year process)
OCIA / RCIA for adults (weekly sessions)
First Communion and Confirmation preparation

Holy Cross School

Catholic education at Mission San Buenaventura has been continuous since 1922, when the original four-classroom Holy Cross School was dedicated. The current three-story school building (pre-kindergarten through eighth grade) was dedicated in January 2001 at the base of the hill behind the Mission. It also houses the Serra Chapel of Eucharistic Adoration, adult classrooms, a parish/school kitchen and the O'Brien Hall assembly room (named for Msgr. Patrick J. O'Brien). Jordan Blanchard serves as principal; before- and after-school care is available.

Preschool through 8th grade
Before- and after-school care
Opened 1922; current building dedicated January 2001
Principal: Jordan Blanchard, (805) 643-1500 ext. 413

Music Ministry

The Music Ministry, led by Director of Music and Liturgy Jonathan Culbreath, enriches the liturgies with chant, sacred choral music and hymnody drawn from the universal Catholic tradition. The Basilica Choir sings at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and at solemnities, feasts, and special Masses; the choir also leads Vespers on the Sundays of Advent and Lent and performs in several annual concerts. The Spanish Children's Choir sings every other Sunday at the 10:45 AM Mass and welcomes young singers without prior musical experience.

Basilica Choir (9:00 AM Sunday Mass)
Spanish Children's Choir (10:45 AM Sunday Mass)
Sung Vespers on Sundays of Advent and Lent
Annual concert series

Parish Ministries and Outreach

Parish life is supported by a Parish Pastoral Council and a Parish Finance Council, and by ministries that reach both the parish and the wider Ventura community. Outreach includes Catholic Charities (805-643-4694), the St. Vincent de Paul Society conference (805-746-6071), Caregivers: Care for the Elderly, the Life Centers 24-hour Crisis Pregnancy Helpline (800-973-7334), and the First Sunday Food Drive. Liturgical roles for lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers and homebound ministry are open to registered parishioners, and the bulletin, website and social media are coordinated by Elwin Arroyo.

Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Catholic Charities (805-643-4694)
Caregivers: Care for the Elderly
Life Centers Crisis Pregnancy Helpline (800-973-7334)
First Sunday Food Drive
Homebound Ministry (Deacon Mark Banda)

Mission Gift Shop, Museum and Tours

The Mission Gift Shop, Museum and Garden are open daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Self-guided tours include the museum, a 30-minute video, the garden and grotto, the basilica, the Michelangelo Pietà replica, the relics, and the padres' burial area and aqueduct settling tank. Rates: Adults (18–64) $8; Seniors (65+) and Military $5; Youth (5–17) $3; Children (0–4) free. Private tours (up to 15 people) and fourth-grade school tours are available by reservation. There is no admission fee for scheduled Masses or liturgies.

Self-guided tours daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Private tours by reservation (50% deposit, 2-week advance booking)
4th-grade school tours during the school year
No admission fee for scheduled Masses or liturgies
Special Holy Week hours posted each year

Visiting Information and Accessibility

The basilica is generally open to the public from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily and is accessible through the Gift Shop. Free parking is available in the upper lot behind the Mission, which has three disabled parking spaces. Wheelchair access at the Gift Shop is limited; visitors with mobility, hearing, or sight needs are encouraged to call ahead so the docent team can accommodate them. From the 101 Freeway, take California Street or Ventura Avenue into downtown and head west to East Main Street; the Ventura Amtrak/Metrolink station and VCTC buses also serve the area.

Free parking in upper lot behind the Mission (3 disabled spaces)
Three disabled parking spaces reserved in upper lot
Limited wheelchair access at Gift Shop — call ahead for assistance
Amtrak, Metrolink and VCTC bus service within walking distance

Clergy, Staff and Pastoral Leadership

Father Maurice Harrigan becomes pastor on July 1, 2026, succeeding Father Tom Elewaut (pastor 2011–2026), who continues as Pastor Emeritus. Father Eduardo Pruneda serves as Associate Pastor. The pastoral team also includes four deacons — Mark Banda, Gus Catipon, Teodoro Landeros and Alfonso Mendez — and Sr. Mary Rose Chinn, +JMJ as Catechetical Leader. Lay staff lead Music (Jonathan Culbreath), Faith Formation and Youth Ministry (Elwin Arroyo), Holy Cross School (Jordan Blanchard), the parish office (Claudia Tellez-Ruiz), the business office (Mary Kay Huszar), maintenance (Jorge Ruiz and Osvaldo Galvan), the Gift Shop (Veronica Basoco), and the rectory kitchen (Roberta Medrano).

Father Maurice Harrigan — Pastor (effective July 1, 2026)
Father Tom Elewaut — Pastor Emeritus
Father Eduardo Pruneda — Associate Pastor
Deacons Mark Banda, Gus Catipon, Teodoro Landeros, Alfonso Mendez
Sr. Mary Rose Chinn, +JMJ — Catechetical Leader / Faith Formation
Jonathan Culbreath — Director of Music and Liturgy
Jordan Blanchard — Holy Cross School Principal

Annual Events and Devotions

The parish and basilica mark the major liturgical seasons of the Catholic year with special celebrations. Highlights include the Feast of St. Bonaventure on July 15 (the anniversary of the basilica's 2020 elevation), Holy Week liturgies and the Via Crucis, Christmas and Easter schedules with bilingual Masses, First Friday Mass and Adoration, the annual Mission Fiesta, the Serra Chapel 72+ hours of continuous Adoration each week, and the December 16 anniversary of the original 1809 dedication. The Basilica Choir sings Vespers on the Sundays of Advent and Lent.

Getting Involved and Giving

Parishioners can sign up for parish ministries through the Parish Office, become catechists or choir members (VIRTUS-trained), join the St. Vincent de Paul conference, support the First Sunday Food Drive, or remember the parish in their wills through the Wills and Trusts Legacy program. Online giving is available through the parish website.

Pastors & rectors through the years

Fray Junípero Serra, O.F.M.1782
Founder; celebrated the founding Mass with Padre Pedro Benito Cambon on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782.
Fray Pedro Benito Cambon1782–c.1800s
First missionary left in charge of the Mission by Serra; built the seven-mile aqueduct system with the Chumash (1805–1815). Buried on Mission grounds (d. 1831 according to some accounts).
Fray Vicente de Santa María1782–1806
Founding missionary assigned with Cambon and Dumetz; buried behind the Mission (d. July 16, 1806).
Fray Francisco Dumetz1782
Founding missionary.
Fray José Senanearly 1800s
Buried behind the Mission (d. August 25, 1823).
Fray Francisco Suñerearly 1800s
Buried behind the Mission (d. January 17, 1831).
Father José María Rosalesafter 1840
Listed by the Archdiocese as the first parish pastor after the Franciscans surrendered the Mission in 1840 and it became a parish church.
Father Cyprian Rubio1878–1896
In 1893 he controversially 'modernized' the interior, painting over original artwork, lengthening windows with dark stained glass, covering the beamed ceiling and tile floor, and razing the remaining quadrangle.
Father Patrick Groganc.1899–1939
Native of County Roscommon, Ireland; served approximately 40 years. Re-tiled the church roof, built the present rectory and convent, placed a new fountain in the garden, and built the Mission museum. Died 1939.
Msgr. Daniel Hurley1939–1954
Native of County Cork; first came to San Buenaventura in 1922 when Holy Cross School was built. Directed the parish 15 years, then served 18 years as founding pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, Ventura. Died 1982 at age 88.
Father Aubrey J. O'Reilly1955–1975
Native Angeleno ordained 1932; decorated Army chaplain (retired Lt. Col.). Supervised the 1956–1957 restoration that returned the windows, ceiling and floor to their original appearance. Died 1977 at age 70.
Msgr. Francis Weber1975–1981
Longtime friend of Msgr. O'Brien and mission historian.
Msgr. Patrick J. O'Brienc.1981–2005
Native of County Clare, Ireland; previously Episcopal Vicar for the Santa Barbara Region; named Protonotary Apostolic in 1995. Oversaw the 1994 Master Site Plan by MainStreet Architects and the 2001 dedication of the new Holy Cross School/Multi-Purpose Building (O'Brien Hall named in his honor). Died 2005 at age 74.
Father James Anguiano2005–?
Ventura native ordained from St. John's Seminary; later director of the Juan Diego House of Formation in Gardena.
Father Michael Carceranoc.2008–2011
Native of Torrance ordained from St. John's; previously 12 years as pastor of St. Rose of Lima, Simi Valley; came from the Archdiocese's Judicial Vicar's Office.
Father Tom (Thomas) Elewaut2011–2026
Native of Wisconsin; taught and served as high school principal for almost 25 years at St. Joseph (Santa Maria) and Bishop Garcia Diego (Santa Barbara). Now Pastor Emeritus.
Father Preston Passosappointed 2025, did not take office
Named next pastor but resigned from the appointment due to ongoing recovery from open-heart surgery in 2025; entered sabbatical.
Father Maurice Harrigan2026–present
Native Angeleno from Glendale, one of ten children; Mount St. Mary's Seminary (M.Div. and M.A. in Church History); ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1996; previously served U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton, youth in state prisons, and the Missionaries of Charity of St. Teresa of Calcutta; pastor of Mary Star of the Sea, San Pedro (2014–2026). Effective July 1, 2026.

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About Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura · Ventura, California

Why belong here

Mass times at Old Mission Basilica San Buenaventura

Weekly Mass schedule

Confession times

Adoration times

About Mission Basilica San Buenaventura

History of the Mission

Patron Saint: St. Bonaventure

Architecture, Art and Sacred Relics

Historic Designations

Mass and Sacraments

Baptism, Marriage, Anointing and Funerals

Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation

Holy Cross School

Music Ministry

Parish Ministries and Outreach

Mission Gift Shop, Museum and Tours

Visiting Information and Accessibility

Clergy, Staff and Pastoral Leadership

Annual Events and Devotions

Getting Involved and Giving

Pastors & rectors through the years

Keep praying