The mission was named after St. Bonaventure, a 13th-century Franciscan saint, one of the early leaders of the Order to which the friars belonged, and a Doctor of the Church. On June 9, 2020 Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica and on July 15, 2020, the feast day of its patron saint, the announcement was officially proclaimed minor basilica by Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, and its name changed to reflect this new status in the Catholic Church.