On May 1, 2026, following a visit to the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in San Diego, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh—Interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada—visited Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the very site where the European history of California effectively began.

Founded on July 16, 1769, by the Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra, the mission became the first in a chain of twenty-one Spanish missions stretching along the coast. It is often referred to as the "Mother of Missions," as it was from this location that the subsequent spread of Christian influence across the territory of modern-day California originated.
Today, it serves not only as a historical monument but also as an active parish church. The mission fulfilled functions extending beyond the purely religious; it was an integral part of Spain's colonial system, serving as a place where indigenous peoples were converted to Christianity, instructed in agriculture and trades, and where the first European-style settlements were established.