Mission haunted by Indians?

Retrocognition at Mission La Purisima Concepcion

By Richard SenateI was visiting the restored mission with a group at the time. I left the party and went into the old church. There was no one there at the time. As soon as I entered I felt something was different. It was a sort of uneasiness. I sat on one of the benches in the church and meditated for perhaps three to four minutes. Then, I got up and started to walk down the center of the church. As I drew close to the altar rail, I saw something out of the side of my right eye. I turned my head and saw three figures I had not seen before.

They were small in stature, almost the size of children; they were kneeling on the floor. They were wearing rags, and one I recall had a blanket around him. They had long hair that was dirty and stringy that hung down to their shoulders. One of the three, the one closest to me, turned and looked up at me. I saw he had scars and red sores on his face. There was a pleading quality in his expression. I also saw behind them a bright mural painted on the wall. It was red, yellow, and green, depicting a sort of decorative vase and swags of flowers. Then, as quickly as it came, the whole thing vanished and I was once again left in the church with a sick feeling in my stomach. I was positive I saw Native Americans, but my vision was nothing like the paintings and depictions of the happy, white-clad mission converts found at this mission and in books. The three I saw were starving, sick, dirty, and miserable. The mural I saw was almost garish and nothing like the paintings that now adorn the restored walls.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Serra Almost a Saint and Fun Facts About Missions.