The eleventh Franciscan mission was named to honor the Virgin Mary who, according to doctrine, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin. The mission was established on December 8, 1787, the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

The Most Pure Conception of Mary

The 11th mission was founded by Fr. Fermin de Lausen on December 8, 1787. The Immaculate Conception was a very special patron of the Franciscans. Art and statues of her are found in all the missions. The dogma, long supported by Franciscans and Spain was finally proclaimed by Pius IX in 1854. The mission was laid out in a line rather than a quadrangle. Today it is a State Historical Park and its complete is an excellent example of how the padres and Indians lived and worked.

La Purisima Mission gives the impression of being a working ranch, which in fact the missions were to a great degree. The live animals (and their attendant aromas!) will greet us upon entry. In the gardens are planted many of the shrubs, vegetables and fruits of mission days. Many of the rooms are set up to look as if the people had just left before we entered. If you use your imagination a bit, you can be transported into the 18th century world of California- perhaps more at this mission than any other.