Mission San José

Mission San José is a historic Catholic mission founded in 1720 because Mission San Antonio de Valero, today called The Alamo, had become overcrowded.

Permission was granted to build a new mission 5 miles (8 km) south of San Antonio de Valero to serve the Coahuiltecan Indians.

The first buildings, made of brush, straw, and mud, were quickly replaced by large stone structures, including guest rooms, offices, a dining room, and a pantry.

A heavy outer wall was built around the mission, and rooms for 350 Indians were built into the walls. A new church, which is still standing, was constructed in 1768 from local limestone.

The mission lands were given to its Indians in 1794, and mission activities officially ended in 1824. The mission’s buildings then became home to soldiers, the homeless, and bandits.

In 1933 restoration of the grounds of the mission began and the mission walls and Indian quarters were re-built, and the granary was restored.

Today the mission is an active parish and is also part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas.

Mission Concepción
Mission San José
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission Espada

The fifth Mission in San Antonio, The Alamo, is not part of the Park.

These missions formed part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Highlights of Mission San José

The Indian Quarters at the Mission San Jose
The Rose Window – “La Ventana de Rosa” – sculpted in 1775, an example of Baroque architecture in America
The arched exterior architecture of San José Mission Church
The church facade and interior
Facade sculpture of Our Lady of Guadalupe (the Virgin Mary)
Facade sculptures of St. Joachim and St. Anne holding the infant Mary
Facade sculptures of St. Joseph (San José) holding the infant Jesus
Facade sculptures of St. Dominic and St. Francis