Constitution Day Celebrated At Mission San Juan Capistrano

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — When you hear the bells of San Juan Capistrano Mission toll at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, know that they ring for freedom. Members of the San Clemente Island Chapter and the Mission Viejo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will be in attendance for Constitution Day.

South Orange County will pause at 1 p.m. to celebrate at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, which was founded in 1776, the same year our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

The Daughters of the American Revolution initiated the observance of Constitution Day in 1955, when the organization petitioned Congress to dedicate a week in September toward the Constitution, a spokesperson for the group told Patch.

The celebration’s goals are: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to inform people that the Constitution is the basis of America’s great heritage and the foundation of our way of life; and to emphasize every U.S. citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and, preserve the Constitution.

The Daughters of the American Revolution also created a display honoring the U.S. Constitution at the Mission Viejo Library during this week, they said.

"Pocket-size copies of the Constitution will be handed out by DAR prior to the bell-ringing at the event," they said. "Drop by, take a look, and celebrate our history!"

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-political, patriotic service organization of women who are related to those who fought in and supported the American Revolution.