Serra Cross

Construction of the first cross The Mission San Buenaventura was founded by Junípero Serra on March 30, 1782. According to E. M. Sheridan's "History of Cross On Hill", written in 1928, the erection of a cross at a highly visible point was "the first act of the Mission Fathers", seeking to establish a guide-post to those coming to the Mission by land or sea. According to Sheridan's account, Father Serra himself erected and blessed the cross on what was thereafter called "La Loma de la Cruz". However, some contend that the story about Father Serra personally erecting the cross in 1782 is not factual. Engelhardt was unable to ascertain precisely when the first cross was raised on the hill. and retained it as a souvenir. Arnaz later donated the headpiece to the Ventura Pioneer Museum, predecessor to The Museum of Ventura County. According to Sheridan's account, the headpiece discovered by Arnaz had been attached to the cross with wooden pegs and was a remnant of the original cross erected by Father Serra in 1782. Sheridan led a party to cut down Jeffrey pine trees in Santa Paula canyon to build the new cross, and R. E. Brakey cut the trees and hauled them back to Ventura. The logs were hewn and cured at the Peoples' Lumber Company under the supervision of Selwyn Shaw, a local builder who also designed the mount for the new cross. A large crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 persons gathered at the site of the cross for its dedication. Upon the raising of the cross, the Franciscans blessed it, and children from Oxnard's St. Joseph school sang. Several speeches were given, and an original poem about the cross was read by John S. McGroarty, who was later designated as California'a poet laureate. In 1915, residents of Ventura began an annual tradition of walking up the hill to the cross for an Easter sunrise service. In 1919, petitions were circulated seeking construction of a road to the cross through Grant Park. On April 3, 1932, a crowd of 5,000 persons gathered at the cross to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Father Serra's founding of the mission; after a procession from the Mission, an American flag was presented to the city, mass was celebrated by John Joseph Cantwell (the first archbishop of Los Angeles), choirs sang, an original poem was read by John S. McGroarty, and a speech was given by John G. Mott. Also in 1932, the cross was illuminated for the first time. An article in the Los Angeles Times opined: "The red outline makes a striking image on the hillside." The fourth cross erected in 1941 In 1941, the cross was replaced by the Alice M. Bartlett Club. In 1966, the cross was placed on a platform and illuminated with fluorescent lighting. ==First Amendment litigation==

At least as early as 1991, concerns were raised about the city's maintenance of a Christian cross on public land. Two other Christian crosses in San Diego County were ordered removed that year (one on Mount Soledad in San Diego, the other on Mount Helix in La Mesa) by a federal judge who ruled that they violated the "no-preference" clause in the California Constitution. In March 2003, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and three Ventura County residents represented by attorney Vince Chhabria challenged the City of Ventura's use of public funds to maintain a religious symbol on public land. The action was premised on the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and followed lawsuits challenging crosses in San Francisco and La Mesa and Mount Soledad in San Diego County. Ventura's City Attorney Bob Boehm attempted to assert that, more than a religious icon, the Serra Cross was "a time-honored landmark" with a historic character. The debate over removal of the cross dominated Ventura County newspaper coverage and editorials through the spring and summer of 2003. On May 4, parishioners from 10 churches encircled the cross in a two-hour prayer vigil in support of the cross. On June 8, a group called Bikers for Christ held a Saturday morning rally in front of City Hall to support the maintenance of the cross. In August 2003, the city, seeking to avoid costly litigation and likely defeat, reached a settlement with the plaintiffs. As part of the settlement, the City agreed to sell the cross and a one-acre parcel beneath it in an auction open to all bidders. The settlement further required the city to cease illuminating the cross at night with fluorescent lighting and imposed a deed restriction that any future lighting was limited to more muted ground lighting. Descendants of the Grant family, which had donated the land to the City in 1918, filed suit challenging the city's planned sale of a portion of the property and arguing that the property would revert to the heirs if the sale went forward. That suit was defeated in court. ==The Serra Cross Conservancy==

In September 2003, a non-profit historic preservation group, San Buenaventura Heritage, purchased the cross and the one-acre site for $104,216.87. The group was the high bidder in an auction that drew four other bidders. At the time of the acquisition, one of the group's leaders, Christie Weir, said the cross would remain, noted that the organization included members of various faiths, and described the cross as a symbol of Ventura's mission heritage. A new group, Serra Cross Conservancy, was formed, and the property was transferred to it. This group maintains the site as a public park known as Father Serra Park. According to the Conservancy's web site, the group is "interested in preserving and maintaining the Serra Cross Park for a variety of personal reasons; we value the Park for the sake of historic preservation and/or are interested in the cross as a religious icon and a landmark attraction to other communities and tourists. But mostly for long-time members of this community, the cross represents what makes Ventura special and serves as an important element of our lives here in Ventura." Serra Cross Park is known for its sweeping views of Ventura, the Santa Barbara Channel, and Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands. ==See also==