The San Juan Capistrano City Council has unanimously approved the renaming of Spring Street to Father O’Sullivan Way, honoring the Catholic priest who began the tradition of the Return of the Swallows and is credited with bringing the Mission San Juan Capistrano back to glory in the early 1900s. Through vision, hands-on labor and leadership, Father O’Sullivan became known as the “Great Restorer” of the 20th century, transforming the decaying Mission into the historic landmark it is today.
The city council approved the renaming during its July 21 meeting.
“I think it is an important opportunity for us as a community to honor a very important historical figure,” Mayor John Campbell, who helped spearhead this change and brought it to council, said. “We all in this room and in this community identify with the Mission, and I think it is very important to honor the person who single-handedly, on his back, carried the Mission back and had it restored.”
O’Sullivan moved to San Juan Capistrano in 1910 after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Seeking a dry climate, he arrived at the Mission, which had been without a resident priest for decades.
O’Sullivan began the process of restoring the Mission San Juan Capistrano soon after arrival, personally carving replacement wooden beams and salvaging historic floor tiles. In 1919, his guidance and design brought the Sacred Garden at the Mission to life, and in 1922, he installed the 17th-century Spanish retablo that is behind the altar today.
“The church literally was in ruins, falling apart at the seams,” Campbell said. “He is most commonly known as the ‘Great Restorer’ — he is the one who took the Mission in its incredibly poor condition and began the process of bringing it back.”
O’Sullivan also started monetizing the Mission, charging a small admission fee for the restoration of the historic building, founded the parish school and helped save Serra Chapel, the oldest standing building in California and the only surviving chapel where Saint Junípero Serra celebrated Mass.
Chris Lobo, director of tribal governmental affairs for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, shared that O’Sullivan’s legacy extends far beyond a pastoral ministry, working alongside the American Folklore Society and other organizations to encourage the documentation of native history, language and oral tradition.
This includes through Father O’Sullivan’s book, “Capistrano Nights.” By renaming Spring Street to Father O’Sullivan Way, the city is not only sharing the story of the “Great Restorer,” he said. They are encouraging people to learn about his work and the Acjachemen people, “whose stories are preserved in ‘Capistrano Nights’ and related historical works, and whose descendants continue to call San Juan Capistrano home today.”
“I’ve had many discussions with local stakeholders about this, and we have had conversations on what street might be appropriate to change, and I’ve had strong opinions and strong support to change the name of Spring Street,” Campbell said.
In a letter, the Mission Preservation Foundation expressed its support for the renaming of Spring Street to Father O’Sullivan Way.
“Currently, San Juan Capistrano has a public park named for O’Sullivan’s beloved friend Açu, but nowhere does the community recognize this faithful pastor’s contributions to establishing the traditions and preserving the very fabric of this wonderful town,” the letter said. “In this time, Father O’Sullivan became a community member, serving not only his parish but the town at large. Without him, there would be no legend of the swallows, and perhaps the Mission would be no more.”