About Prelado

La Purisima Mission is the jewel of the California Missions and California State Parks. This precious jewel is financially supported by the non-profit organization Prelado de los Tesoros de La Purisima, which translates to just that – "Keepers of the treasure of La Purisima." Prelado's support provides La Purisima Mission State Historic Park with animal care, money for enrichment programs, docent training, building repairs and many other aspects of the operating this historic park. Prelado also plays an important role in keeping La Purisima Mission open to the public through letter writing campaigns and other park supporting events. If you would like to become a member of Prelado please contact us.

Become a Docent

Rewards of volunteering as a docent at La Purisima Mission include watching the excitement on visitor's faces as a concept becomes clear or they are able to master the skills necessary to perform a mission craft, going home knowing that you have made a difference in someone's life, working with other docents who have similar interests in working with people, participating in on-going training, and having fun.

The process of becoming a docent at La Purisima Mission State Historic Park includes learning about California's history, learning how to present information to the park visitors, wearing the latest styles in mission period clothing, and giving of yourself and your time to help others appreciate California's rich cultural heritage.

What does it take to become a docent? Training classes are given each year during the winter. The training classes are four hours per week for ten weeks. Becoming a docent isn't only about crafts and period clothing. Docents perform many other support functions at the mission, and you can both develop new skills or utilize the skills you already possess. From animal handlers to accountants, Prelado can benefit from your expertise.

If you have any questions, or if you want to know more about the next docent training class, please contact us.