St. Junipero Serra

Another statue of St. Junipero Serra vandalized in California
- Church in the US
- September 13, 2017
Another statue of St. Junipero Serra has been defaced in California. The founder of the California missions has been criticized for his treatment of native populations in the 18th century. However, when Pope Francis made him a saint, he said Serra “sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it.”
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Amid monument debate, statue of St. Junipero Serra defaced in L.A.
- Church in the US
- August 20, 2017
Many people are debating whether or not to remove statues considered offensive by many from public places after the violence in Charlottesville. In the wake of that debate, a statue of St. Junipero Serra, praised as the “Apostle of California” but linked by critics with abuses of Native Americans, was defaced last week near the San Fernando Mission in northern Los Angeles.
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Serra: When remembering the saint, don’t forget the man
- Church in the US, Commentary
- July 1, 2017
Saint Junípero Serra is known today by many monikers — Patron of Vocations, Father of the California Missions, Apostle of California, Evangelizer of the West, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Hispanic saint of the United States. However, it seems that some historians are politicizing their craft again, with the California missions and its first father-president in their crosshairs.
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Blessing of St. Junipero statue celebrates Holy Spirit in saints’ lives
- Catholic News Service, Church in the US
- June 8, 2017
Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington blessed a statue of St. Junipero Serra on the day of Pentecost saying that the Holy Spirit which moved him is also “alive in each one of us.” Pope Francis canonized the saint during his 2015 visit to Washington.
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