| Welcome to the spiritual and historic heart of Santa Clara University Historic Mission Santa Clara is a consecrated Roman Catholic church situated on the campus of Santa Clara University | |
|---|---|
| Masks are encouraged but not required to enter Mission Santa Clara | In-person attendance at any indoor event or liturgy at the Mission still requires pre-registration and will adhere to certain capacity limitations as mandated by the Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose |
First established in 1777, the Franciscan Order handed the Mission over to the Society of Jesus the Jesuits in 1851, who then started Santa Clara College, the first institution of higher education in California.