Mission Espada: The Restoration Period

After secularization, only a few families remained at Mission Espada, which continued to deteriorate until by the late 1850s only part of the church was still standing. Father Francis Bouchu, appointed pastor of Espada in 1858, began rebuilding the mission in the early 1880s, using his own funds to buy land, restore the church, and renovate the convento as his living quarters. Repairs continued after his death in 1908. Restoration plans drawn by architect Harvey P. Smith in 1934 went unfunded for many years, but after Robert Lucey became archbishop of San Antonio in 1941, he actively guided restoration of Mission Espada's compound, church, and outlying structures through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. In 1978, after many years of work to protect and restore the missions, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was established. Today Mission Espada remains an active place of worship cared for by the Archdiocese of San Antonio, while the National Park Service is responsible for the surrounding buildings and lands.

San Antonio, Texas · United States