Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, Ca

Located in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, the Mission was founded by Serra on November 1, 1776; and soon became one of busiest in the territory. On the night of December 18, 1812, a catastrophic earthquake effectively leveled the massive chapel, taking the lives of forty worshipers.

Investigators  claim that the mission is haunted by a young woman named Magdalena who was killed in the 1812 earthquake that destroyed the Great Stone Church and by a faceless monk who roams the mission halls. Just recently Ghost Hunters made a trip to the Historical Landmark and dug up some remarkable Electronic Voice Phenomena evidence as well as strange "earthquake" sounds.  Many report seeing Madelena's face by candlelight in the highest church window. There are also sightings of a faceless monk roaming one of the mission's corridors, and footsteps of a soldier still keeping watch.

There is also Mission San Juan Capistrano Cemetery, "which More than 2,000 former inhabitants (mostly Juaneño Indians) are buried in unmarked graves in the Mission's cemetery (campo santos). The remains of Father (later Monsignor) St. John O'Sullivan, who recognized the property's historic value and working tirelessly to conserve and rebuild its structures, are buried at the entrance to the cemetery on the west side of the property, and a statue raised in his honor stands at the head of the crypt. Father O'Sullivan's tomb lies at the foot of a Celtic cross the Father himself erected as a memorial to the Mission's builders.

When the Great Stone Church collapsed in the quake of 1812 forty native worshippers who were attending mass and two boys who had been ringing the bells in the tower were buried under the rubble and lost their lives, and were subsequently interred in the Mission cemetery. Father O'Sullivan died in 1933 and was interred in the Mission cemetery (campo santos) amongst more than 2,000 former inhabitants (mostly Juaneño Indians), who are buried in unmarked graves.

From a sign at the entrance -
The Mission cemetery served as burial land for the local people. The first burial was recorded on March 9, 1781 and it is believed that approximately 2,000 people were buried here. Internments ended in 1850 and were relocated to land east of the Mission. An exception was made in 1934 to inter Father John O'Sullivan, who during his 23-year residency directed the restoration at the Mission. Father O'Sullivan also installed the tall monument in the cemetery as a memorial to those who built this Mission. The black granite marker memorializes the Spanish soldier Jose Antonia Yorba who helped found the Mission."- Waymarking, Max Cacher

When checking out the Mission recently it was on a bright summer day with a ton of people there; so I was unable to capture any audio or visual evidence. I will have to visit on an off-day when there are not so many people around. I have been to the mission many times before with family, school, and in my own personal time; and have never had an experience on my own. It's beautiful as it is, there is no complaints! Go see this astonishing piece of Californian History.