SURROUNDED BY 80-YEAR-OLD brick walls in a former convent garden, family and staff of Mission Basilica School gathered on Aug. 15 to celebrate something new while also honoring their long and rich history.
With a blessing from Msgr. J. Michael McKiernan, for the San Juan Capistrano school, the new was a new playground. But the day was also a chance to reflect upon the historic nature of nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano, the birthplace of modern Orange County.
MSGR. J. MICHAEL MCKIERNAN SPRINKLES HOLY WATER WHILE BLESSING A NEW PLAYGROUND AT MISSION BASILICA. PHOTOS BY JEFF ANTENORE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“We ask that as the children play here, they may continue to grow in their understanding of God’s love, that they may continue to grow in their understanding of joy and the gift of play,” said Msgr. McKiernan. “We ask for almighty God to watch over and bless every child who will play in this place.”
The estimated $275,000 playground will serve preschool children as young as age 2 through transitional kindergarten students.
While the ribbon was cut and the equipment blessed, students had to wait until the first day of school on Aug. 19 to try out their new play area.
Mission Basilica School offers an academic preschool program that is play-based, said Preschool Director Laura Bullock. The renovated space offers areas for imaginative play, tricycles for gross motor learning and sensory tables, explained Bullock, an alumna herself.
“We really value socio-emotional development, and that does happen a lot during unstructured play time,” said Bullock. “It gives them that opportunity to really learn how to grow with other students.”
MISSION BASILICA PRESCHOOL TEACHERS AND DIRECTOR LAURA BULLOCK, LEFT, STAND TOGETHER ON NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT DURING A BLESSING ON AUG. 15.
The new playground is twice as big as the one it replaced which dated back to the 90s, but Bullock, who oversaw its planning and construction, had to work within tight constraints. The campus, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2028, is sitting on historic Native American lands. This required the work to be overseen by an archeologist and Native American specialist. The area needed to “keep within the natural beauty of the Mission,” Bullock said. The construction was done with such
care and consideration, with Bullock respecting not only the history of the school and the Mission, but the spirit of the community, said Gina Kersten, a Mission Basilica mother and staff member.
Blessed artifacts were put into the newly poured concrete for St. Junípero Serra, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit and the swallows (the mascot of the school and the bird San Juan Capistrano is famous for).
Many families came out for the blessing, which was followed by a hamburger and hot dog cookout by the Knights of Columbus. The day was also a chance for children to drop off school supplies before their first day.
Second-grader Brooklynn Bendel won’t get to enjoy the new playground, but she thinks her 2-year-old sister, Jolee “JoJo” Bendel, will.
“It’s really cool and I think JoJo will like the slides, because she likes a lot of playgrounds,” said Brooklynn.
For their mother, Sarah Bendel, the new playground is just one of many reasons she sends her children to Mission Basilica. Bendel said the staff’s “pure heart” for taking care of children is why she entrusts her daughters to go there.
“They go above and beyond, and I feel like when you are placing your children in someone else’s care, you have to have this level of trust,” she said. “They really do embody Christ-like features when taking care of my kids.”