<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> http://www.sanbuenaventuramission.org </Td> </Tr> <P> Mission San Buenaventura is a Spanish mission founded by the Franciscans in present - day Ventura, California . Founded on March 31, 1782, it was the ninth Spanish mission established in California and the last to be established by Father Junípero Serra . The mission was named after Saint Bonaventure, a 13th century Franciscan saint and Doctor of the Church . The mission is located in the historic downtown of Ventura . </P> <P> Mission San Buenaventura was planned to be founded in 1770, but the founding was delayed because of the low availability of the military escorts needed to establish the mission . In 1793, the first church burned down . Today, only a small section of the entire mission complex still stands; the cemetery to the left of the church is covered by a school . It took the neophytes 16 years to build the new church, which still functions as a parish church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles . </P> <P> The founding of the San Buenaventura Mission traces to the decision on Palm Sunday, March 30, 1749 by the Franciscan priest Junipero Serra to journey to the New World as a missionary to the native peoples . </P>

What is mission san buenaventura used for today