Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá
Some Uses of Locally-quarried Stone

The San Diego Mission Chapel

The following photographs were taken in late May 2012 during a trip we took to San Diego County in which we sought out the mission and various granite quarries. Peggy B. & Pat Perazzo

The Chapel
(Sign shown in photograph above – transcription)

“The chapel was built in 1977 and houses choir stalls, a throne and altar that came from a Carmelite monastery in Plasencia, Spain and date back to the 1300’s.  The choir stalls are grooved and fit so that no nails are used to hold them together.  The seats raise up to allow the monks to stand in place while singing.  The eagle on the throne signifies strength and victory and is a symbol of the Resurrection.
“The floor of the chapel came from Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City.  The cross is made of granite and the remaining areas are covered in cantera stone.”*

(*  According to Wikipedia, Cantera stone is a “…quarried, volcanic rock that is mined exclusively in various regions of Mexico and Central America....”)

Dedication Plaque Reads as Follows

To

The Glory of God

And

In Loving Memory of

Countess Bernadine Murphy Donohue

The

Chapel Choir Stalls and Altar

Are Dedicated

Sir Daniel J Donohue

Anno Domine

MCMLXXIX