Lands for La Lomita ("The Little Hill") Mission came from the 1767 Spanish grant of Joseph A. Cantu, and were donated in 1861. Used as farms and ranches, the lands supported the priests and their charities. The original chapel, built in 1865 at a campsite on Brownsville-Roma Trail has been rebuilt or restored two or more times. It was relocated at this present site in 1899. The city of Mission (5 miles north), Texas, was named for this significant landmark.