The mission's name is Santa Cruz. The mission Santa Cruz is number 12 of 21 missions. Santa Cruz is 75 miles south of San Francisco; right by the bay and near the San Lorenzo River close enough to see the Monterey Bay. Mission Santa Cruz was named after a sacred cross. Father Fermin Lasuen built the mission Santa Cruz in 1794.

The mission is made of Adobe brick, which is a red, pink, and brown color. It had a bell tower, padre's quarters, cemetery, workshops, sleeping places, and a patio, which is in the courtyard. Then outside there is an orchard, granary, cattle brand, and barracks.

Mission Santa Cruz went through two earthquakes, this caused part of the church to collapse, also the church collapsed one more time after that. In 1794 the church was completed and dedicated May 10th. In 1796 the town Branciforte founded near the mission had criminals and if they were caught they would be given the choice of being a working citizen or be sent to jail. In 1818 a pirate

Hippolyte Bouchard threatened Mission Santa Cruz to come and take all the valuables, but he never came. The parts of the mission that fell down were rebuilt and tried to be copied exactly as they were originally designed.

Mission Santa Cruz is being used as a museum and there is still the same white cross from the church in the original mission. The Museums tour guide leaders wear clothes from the mission times. Also in the museum the original painting of the church before it collapsed the first time, hangs on one of the walls. On Saturdays the tourists can participate in candle making, basket weaving, adobe brick making, and tortilla making.

I thought it was really interesting when the mission was threatened to be attacked by pirates but they never came. When the Spanish asked the Indians to work and live with them I thought that was nice of the Spanish. I was fascinated that mission Santa Cruz went through two earthquakes. It is cool that the mission was named after a sacred cross "Santa Cruz" which means sacred cross in Spanish I was amazed that the mission Santa Cruz's church fell down so much!