Saturday night, July 4, protesters in Sacramento’s Capitol Park tore down a longstanding statue of St. Junípero Serra, our nation’s first Hispanic saint, one of the founders of the modern state of California, and a tireless advocate for the rights of native Americans.
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The California Catholic Conference of Bishops has issued the following statement in response to the removal of St. Junipero Serra statues in the state:
Mr. Andy Galvan and Mr. Vincent Medina, cousins and members of the Ohlone Indian tribe in the San Francisco Bay Area, will play prominent roles in the Papal Mass celebrating the canonization of Blessed Father Junípero Serra in Washington, D.C.
From 1769 to 1784, Franciscan missionary Father Junípero Serra traveled up and down California, founding the first nine of California’s 21 missions.
In declaring the canonization of this Franciscan missionary, Pope Francis has affirmed Blessed Junípero Serra’s significant role in the life of the Catholic Church and his example of steadfast apostleship. The Pope has called Fr.
Nearly 250 years after Fr. Junípero Serra planted the seeds of Christianity in Alta California, 19 of California’s 21 missions still serve as active Catholic communities and places of worship to serve the religious needs of thousands of Californians.
By Nancy Wiechec and Patricia Zapor
Catholic News Service
On September 23, 2015, Pope Francis will preside over the canonization ceremony of Father Junipero Serra in Washington D.C. Long considered the “Apostle of California,” Serra will be honored by the Catholic Church as a symbol of heroic sacri
The impending canonization of Blessed Father Junípero Serra is striking for its incongruities.
Watch this video of a presentation made by Professor Rose Marie Beebe and Professor Robert Senkewicz speak about their just-completed book, "Junipero Serra: California,