MISSION SAN JUAN Capistrano’s annual St. Joseph’s Day and Return of the Swallows festivities will be held on the historic Mission grounds on Thursday, March 19. To commemorate the Mission’s 250th anniversary, a special flyover by World War II-era North American AT-6 planes will take place between noon and 12:30 p.m. (weather permitting).
The world-renowned return of the swallows is marked each year on St. Joseph’s Day, a liturgical feast day recognized in the Catholic Church. The celebration includes the ringing of the historic Mission bells, Native American stories, music and dances, live mariachi music, flamenco dancers, historical presentations, local food, crafts for children and traditional presentations by Mission Basilica School and San Juan Capistrano elementary schools.
“Walking these grounds on this special day, you feel the weight of history and the promise of tomorrow,” said Mission San Juan Capistrano Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence Adams. “That is the gift of 250 years. Our work doesn’t end at 250; it begins anew. Preservation is a promise to future generations and public programming like St. Joseph’s Day and the Return of the Swallows is a tradition in joy that helps to keep the Mission alive to new generations.”
St. Joseph’s Day is a feast day marked by the Catholic Church, which has been celebrated on March 19 since the 10th century. Mission San Juan Capistrano began celebrating the Return of the Swallows on Saint Joseph’s Day in the 1920’s when then-Mission resident priest Fr. St. John O’Sullivan wrote the legendary swallow story on St. Joseph’s Day, which happened to be his birthday.
The Mission’s swallows migrate 6,000 miles from Goya, Argentina, to San Juan Capistrano in large groups. Some cliff swallow colonies number more than 3,500 nests found under the eaves of the Mission. The gourd-shaped nests are made of mud pellets consisting of sand, silt and clay while the nest chambers are lined with grass and feathers.
St. Joseph’s Day event also features interpretive station tours led by Mission docents, the Legacy of Saint Serra exhibit, the Mission Treasures exhibit, a live lecture by world famous swallows expert Dr. Charles R. Brown and St. Joseph’s Day Altar, and an ecumenical effort to feed those less fortunate hosted by Mission Preservation Foundation board member Vicky Carabini.
St. Joseph’s Day Celebration Tentative Schedule
8:30 a.m. St. Joseph’s Day Mass at Mission Basilica
9:00 a.m. Historic bell ringing upon the Mission’s opening in honor of Saint Junipero Serra; Live music by Mariachi Tapatio
9:55 a.m. Welcome by Mission Executive Director, Mechelle Lawrence Adams
10:05 a.m. Ringing of the School Bell and Mission Basilica School procession
10:10 a.m. Vocalist Renée Bondi performs When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
10:15 a.m. Mission Basilica School performs traditional songs and dances
11:15 a.m. San Juan Elementary School performances
Noon: Historic bell ringing in honor of St. Joseph and the Return of the Swallows
12:15 p.m. Journeys to the Past: California Native American Stories and Dances
1:00 p.m. Bird & Tushmal Singers, Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation
1:30 p.m. Duende Flamenco dance performance
2:00 p.m. The Swing Dolls: America’s premier tribute to The Andrew Sisters
2:00 p.m. Swallows Lecture and Q & A: Swallows expert, Dr. Charles Brown
For more details and advanced reservations, visit www.missionsjc.com/swallows. Mission San Juan Capistrano is located at 26801 Old Mission Road, San Juan Capistrano.