This is about the rise, and perhaps the fall, of a cultural miracle.

Father St. John O’Sullivan was a Catholic priest who arrived at the San Juan Capistrano mission in 1910.  Sent there for relief of chronic tuberculosis, Father O’Sullivan immediately realized the place was in worse shape than he was.  It had been established on All Saints Day in 1776 as one of 21 missions along the California coast, each positioned a day’s walk from the next, from San Diego to San Francisco.  It produced the first Spanish wine in California.  The mission’s chapel, “Father Serra’s Church,” was built in 1782, making it the oldest building in use in the state.  But in 1812 an earthquake had partially destroyed it, burying 40 parishioners while they were attending mass. The mission had slowly decayed, and by the time Father O’Sullivan arrived, it was a mess.

Father O’Sullivan realized that, in order to restore the place, he first needed a little publicity.  So he gave lodging to local artists, in the hope they would feature the building in their works.  He let D.W. Griffith shoot one of Hollywood’s first movies in the back yard.  He even performed Mary Pickford’s wedding in Serra’s Church.  And once he’d gotten some attention, he unleashed his secret weapon: the Swallows of Capistrano.  A large flock of migratory cliff swallows had nested each summer in the eaves of the mission.  Father O’Sullivan studied their comings and goings, and told visitors that the swallows arrived each year on St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) and departed each fall on St. John’s Day (October 23).  Folks were enchanted by the story, and soon small crowds started gathering at the mission each spring to witness the miracle.  Father O’Sullivan charged them a dime apiece, and used the funds to rebuild the mission one section at a time.

By 1940, the arrival of the swallows was drawing thousands of visitors each spring.  One such visitor was the composer Leon Rene.  Awestruck by the sight of thousands of birds arriving en masse, Rene wrote, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.”  The song was recorded by the Ink Spots later that year, and flew to #4 on the U.S. pop charts.  (It has been recorded by many others, including Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo and Pat Boone.)  Soon after, the song received the ultimate pop culture endorsement, when Bugs Bunny sang it while taking a bath in a steaming soup pot (see it here, it’s genius).  The birds were suddenly international superstars, a symbol of the awesome power of nature, and an icon of dependability.

But the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.  Over the past decade, as new development has surrounded the mission, the swallows have dwindled.  Last year, almost none arrived.  Some folks believe the birds are not returning because they can’t find the water and insects they need to survive.  Others report the birds are nearby, just choosing better nesting sites at local shopping malls and freeway bridges.  But swallows or no swallows, humans keep flocking to the mission.  This morning, St. Joseph’s Day, visitors will arrive from all over the world.  A fiesta will be prepared.  Church bells will ring.  And little children, dressed in colorful swallow outfits, will look to the sky for the fulfillment of a promise.  There will be lots of crossed hearts and glances skywards.

Everyone is hoping for the reappearance of a small miracle.  And nobody wants to spend the next year humming, “When the Swallows Come Back to the I-5 Underpass.”