Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano is a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Orange in California. The parish church is located just northwest of Mission San Juan Capistrano in the city of San Juan Capistrano, California, United States. Completed in 1986, it was designated a minor basilica in 2000 and a national shrine in 2003. The parish sponsors a number of ministries, notably "Serra's Pantry", a registered food agency distributing food and hygiene supplies to several hundred local families, and the Mission Basilica School, a parochial school for children in grades pre-K through 8. History St. John O'Sullivan was placed in charge of the mission in 1910, at which time its community was scattered and its buildings in ruins. He set about rebuilding the parish community as well as restoring the old facilities. The Mission was accorded full parochial status in 1918 as the Mission Church San Juan Capistrano. The Serra Chapel, the oldest standing church building in California and the only extant building where St. Junipero Serra is known to have said Mass, was used for services, as the Mission's original stone church was destroyed in an 1812 earthquake. Various efforts had been made to restore the church over the years, but had only caused further damage. O'Sullivan, who would serve as pastor until his death in 1933, had thought to construct a new parish church modeled on the old stone church, but never realized his idea. The modern case for a new parish church was taken up by Fr. Paul Martin, who was named pastor in 1976. By this time, the area Catholic population had grown considerably, and the Serra Chapel was inadequate to the needs of the parish. Fundraising had begun by 1981, encompassing pledge drives and donations from mission visitors. The first Mass in the new building was offered on Christmas 1984, but construction would not be completed for another two years. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on October 23, 1986, and the building was officially dedicated by Timothy Cardinal Manning on February 8, 1987. Design The church is patterned after the Mission's 1806 stone church, but is not a replica of it. It was designed by architect John Bartlett and built by Joseph Byron, Jr. of Alex Sutherland Construction. The interior was designed by historian Norman Neuerberg, who painted much of the decorative and sacred art which adorns the walls. A