Junípero Serra

Who was Junípero Serra?

Junípero Serra, O.F.M., known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue, was a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded a mission in Baja California and the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to San Francisco, which at the time were in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain. He began in San Diego on July 16, 1769, and established his headquarters near Monterey, California at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.

The missions were primarily designed to convert the natives. Other aims were to integrate the neophytes into Spanish society, and to train them to take over ownership and management of the land. As head of the order in California, Serra not only dealt with church officials, but also with Spanish officials in Mexico City and with the local military officers who commanded the nearby presidios.

Fr. Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988. Beatification is the third of four steps in canonization.