Founded by Military

Santa Cruz Mission, twelfth in Alta California, was, like the others, actually established by the military authories under orders from viceroy and governor and turned over to the missionary priests.

After Padre Fermin Lasuen, accompanied by Corporal Luis Peralta and five soldiers, marked the location with a cross on August 28, 1791, Alferez Hermenegildo Sal, commander at San Francisco presidio, sent a mule train of supplies and equiment on September 17 and five days later started out himself guided by Corporal Peralta.

At Santa Clara they picked up Padres Baldomero Lopez and Alonzo Isidro Salazar and more supplies and livestock, with which they arrived at the mission site on September 24.

The next morning mass and the Te Deum by the priests and the firing of guns by the soldiers constituted the formal ceremony.

The personnel of the mission in its first months is best given by the list of godfathers for the Indians, whom the priests immediately begain baptising. The first baptism was of an Indian girl on October 9.

Godfathers named in the first month were: Alferez Sal, Cabo Peralta and Sldados de Cuera Pablo Azebes, Jose Vicente Aguila, Francisco Tapia, Ramon Linares, Bartholomo Pecho, Joaquin Bernal, Ignacio Alviso.