It may be that the unusual bells at Mission San Buenaventura were made for those days. These two bells are carved from two-foot blocks of redwood, the only wooden bells known at the California missions.

Mission San Buenaventura, located in Ventura, California, is famously known for having the only wooden bells in the California mission system. Historically, these two unique bells were carved from solid blocks of wood and lined with metal to produce a distinctive sound. They were primarily used during the "Holy Days" of the liturgical year—specifically from Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday—when traditional metal bells were silenced as a sign of mourning. While the original wooden bells are now housed in the mission's museum to preserve them from the elements, they remain a grounded symbol of the ingenuity and cultural adaptation of the Chumash people and Spanish missionaries. Visitors to the mission today can see these rare artifacts, which stand as a testament to the specialized ceremonies and acoustic traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries. They are a "must-see" for any history enthusiast exploring the 21 missions along California's historic El Camino Real.