"Tony is a
hard act to follow, and I am honored that the Board would appoint me to
this position,” says O’Connell. “I believe in the value of the Old
Mission and will be very much involved with its preservation and museum
development in the years to come."
Mission San Juan Capistrano
is known as the Jewel of the Missions, and it is a historic landmark and
museum that boasts quality permanent exhibits featuring original
artifacts as well as traveling and temporary exhibits on a wide variety
of topics.
Father Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Juan
Capistrano on Nov. 1, 1776, the seventh in the chain of the 21
California missions established by Spain; it is Orange County’s only
mission. Every year, more than 50,000 students visit the mission and engage
in an inspirational learning experience via the Mission Matters
programming, as part of their state required California history studies.