iest vellum and is entirely hand-written in red and
black; and though a century or more has passed since it was written it
is clear and perfect, has 139 pages. The brothers of the college have
placed this inscription over it: "Ancient choral, whose wooden cover,
leather bound and covered in bronze, came, probably, originally from
Spain, and has age of some 500 years."

In a case which extends across the room are ancient vestments, the key
of the old Mission, statuary brackets from the ancient altar, the altar
bell, crown of thorns from the Mission crucifix, altar card-frames, and
the rosary and crucifix that once belonged to Padre Magin Catala.

Padre Catala, the good man of Santa Clara, is deemed by the leaders of
the Catholic Church in California to be worthy the honors and elevation
of sainthood, and proceedings are now in operation before the highest
Court of the Church in Rome to see whether he is entitled to these
posthumous honors. The Franciscan historian for California, Father
Zephyrin Englehardt, has written a book entitled _The Holy Man of Santa
Clara_, in which not only the life of Padre Catala is given, but the
whole of the procedure necessary to convince the Church tribunal of his
worth and sainthood. The matter is not yet (1913) settled.

On the walls are some of the ancient paintings, one especially
noteworthy. It is of Christ multiplying the loaves and fishes (John vi.
II). While it is not a great work of art, the benignity and sweetness of
the Christ face redeem it from crudeness. With upraised right hand he is
blessing the loaves which rest in his left hand, while the boy with the
fishes kneels reverently at his feet.

The University of Santa Clara is now rapidly erecting its new buildings,
in a modified form of Mission architecture, to meet its enlarging needs
The buildings, when completed, will present to the world a great
institution of learning--the oldest west of the Rocky Mountains--well
equipped in every department for the important labor in the education of
the Catholic youth of California and the west that it has undertaken.

CHAPTER XVIII

SAN BUENAVENTURA

For thirteen years the heart of the venerable Serra was made sick by the
postponements in the founding of this Mission. The Viceroy de Croix had
ordered Governor Rivera "to recruit seventy-five soldiers for the
establishment of a presidio and three Missions in the channel of Santa
Barbara: one towards the north of the channel,