The Mission San Francisco de Asís (Spanish: Misión San Francisco de Asís), also known as Mission Dolores, is a historic Catholic church complex in San Francisco, California. Operated by the Archdiocese of San Francisco , the complex was founded in the 18th century by Spanish Catholic missionaries.

Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded June 29, 1776, under the direction of Father Junipero Serra and is both the oldest original intact Mission in California and the oldest building in San Francisco. Today, the Mission Dolores Parish comprises both the Basilica and the Old Mission.

Officially named after Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order, the mission seems overwhelmed by the burgeoning city of San Francisco and dwarfed by its neighbor, Mission Dolores Basilica, built 100 years after the mission in 1876.

The Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded October 9, 1776. The settlement was named for St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, but was also commonly known as "Mission Dolores" owing to the presence of a nearby creek named Arroyo de los Dolores, or "Creek of Sorrows."

Established in 1776 by the Franciscan order, the mission is the oldest surviving building in San Francisco. Formally named Mission San Francisco de Asís, after Saint Francis of Assisi, the mission was nicknamed Mission Dolores after the nearby …

Late in June 1776, Father Francisco Palóu and Lieutenant José Moraga, accompanied by 16 Spanish soldiers, led a small party to the shores of San Francisco Bay. Father Palóu intended to establish a new religious installation, Mission San Francisco de Asís, today better known as Mission Dolores.

Mission Dolores still plays an important role in the civic and cultural life of San Francisco; San Francisco de Asís was granted basilica status in 1952 by Pope Pius XII. Key Events 1776 – Mission founded.

Initially, the Ohlone Indians joined the new San Francisco de Asís Mission in good numbers. But ample food and protection from enemies had to be measured against fatal epidemics of measles, the worldly attractions of the Pueblo, and the free life …

Discover the history and beauty of Mission Dolores, the oldest mission in San Francisco. Explore our activities, museum, and learn more about our mission.

The Mission Dolores is the oldest building in San Francisco. This Spanish colonial style church was built in 1776 by Spanish missionaries who, under the supervision of Junípero Serra, hoped to evangelise the Ohlone Indians.