San Gabriel Mission rebuilds for jubilee year

Contractor Daniel Macias inspects the scaffolding inside Mission San Gabriel from a scissor lift. (Victor Alemán)

The July 11, 2020 early morning fire at San Gabriel Mission burned the roof and most of the interior of its sanctuary. (John McCoy)

The mission church’s steel beams were warped by the intense fire. They had to be carefully removed and replaced by new ones last month. (Victor Alemán)

The interior of the fire-damaged Mission San Gabriel April 19, 2021, after new steel beams were installed to begin construction of a new roof. (Victor Alemán)

Last year’s fire has exposed brick patterns and paint in the walls of San Gabriel Mission. (Pablo Kay)

Terri Huerta, director of development & communications for Mission San Gabriel, in front of the reredos in the church sanctuary. The altarpiece survived last year's fire. (Victor Alemán)

The more than 150,000 gallons of water used to put out the fire last July caused the floor of the mission’s sacristy to sink, revealing layers of stone and brick used to first build the church. No human remains have been found in excavations since the fire. (Victor Alemán)

The facade of Mission San Gabriel survived the 2020 fire. (Victor Alemán)

A construction worker looks at the scaffolding surrounding the interior of Mission San Gabriel. (Victor Alemán)

(Victor Alemán)

Artwork at San Gabriel Mission is seen behind scaffolding as the mission undergoes renovations following last summer’s fire. (Victor Alemán)

Mission San Gabriel historical director Terri Huerta gave Angelus an exclusive tour nine months after the mysterious fire that nearly destroyed its church. (Victor Alemán)