The celebration of the swallows, specifically cliff swallows, which have deep blue on their back, wings and crown, was begun nearly a century ago by Father John O’Sullivan, who cared for the mission from 1910 until his death in 1933. He apparently started the Return of the Swallows tradition to coincide with St. Joseph’s Day, which also was his birthday, according to an L.A. Times story.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 19, 2019 12:02 UTC