News Release

 

For Immediate Release                                                                      April 3, 2001

 

Contact: Susan McGourty

                Mission San Miguel

                Ph: (805) 467-2131

                Fx: (805) 467-2141

 

 

Mission Reaches Major Milestone

 

Mission San Miguel, San Miguel, CA – Father Christopher Tomatis, the Franciscan parish priest of Old Mission San Miguel has a feeling of progress and renewed hope for his dream to preserve historic Mission San Miguel, a living treasure from California’s colonial past. The reason for his re-energized hope: because the Building Fund has reached a major milestone of 20% of the needed $800,000.00 in contributions for the first phase of the preservation effort. This is no minor feat!  The Mission, as well as the Parish is totally self-supporting, receiving no grants or funds from the state.

 

Fr. Chris said, “I am so pleased because just as the community came together to answer the call to build this Mission over 200 years ago, today the community is once again responding to the call to preserve it for the next 100 years.”

 

Fr. Chris announced something new; that there will be a “time capsule” for the preservation effort.  It will include an archive list of all donors and information about the preservation effort and times.  100 years from now or so, perhaps during a future preservation effort, it will serve as a historical document about the times and the people who contributed to this preservation of the Mission. “If we forget our past, we forget all that we are today,” Fr. Chris is fond of saying.

 

“ While we greatly appreciate the support of our major donors and area service organizations, such as the Kiwanis, historically San Miguel has always been a poor community and most of the donations are coming in a few dollars at a time”, Fr. Chris said. “Even the smallest contributions are appreciated, and should be and will be acknowledged because all are important to meet our goal. ---We must never forget that we’re not just building a building; we are also building a community.”

 

Those interested in more information about the Mission Building Fund, please contact Old Mission San Miguel  (805) 467-2131.

Father Christopher Tomatis, OFM marks new milestone.