Becoming a missionary in California required both courage and a strong spiritual grounding. Visiting California in 1786, the French nobleman and scientist Count Jean-François de Galoup de La Pérouse described the friars of the California missions as "true" missionaries, "who have abandoned the idle life of a cloister [monastery] to give themselves up to fatigues, cares, and anxieties of every kind."

Choosing a Religious Life

The friars who came to California were born and reared in Spain, where religion was an important and integral part of everyday life. Most Spaniards were Catholic and attended mass regularly. They believed that God had chosen their king and granted him a divine right to rule. The Catholic Church provided basic social services, including schools, hospitals, and charity for the poor.

Because of the importance and prestige of the Catholic religion...