Mallorca: Cradle and Roots The honors rightly paid to Friar Junípero Serra on all continents should not overshadow the Majorcan roots and soul of this slender Franciscan with a gigantic soul. He was born on November 24, 1713, on the Spanish island of Majorca in the Mediterranean Sea. His root’s vitality stems … Read more
During the summer unrest, Catholics were horrified by the toppling of statues of Saint Junipero Serra, the apostle of California. He did nothing to deserve such treatment. Those who attack the saint accuse him of genocide, enslaving the Indians and destroying native culture. By dint of repetition, this false narrative may lead … Read more
Elizabeth Bruenig’s New York Times op-ed “A Saint’s Sins” was a lengthy indictment of the character and actions of Saint Junipero Serra. It is tempting to refer to it as a masterpiece of character assassination, except that it is not masterful. It recycles modernist and old anti-Catholic attacks that ignore the historical … Read more
In the early morning hours of July 23rd of this year, city officials in San Buenaventura (commonly referred to as Ventura), California hired an anti-Catholic crane company to remove a statue of Saint Junipero Serra that had stood in the city for just shy of a century. This move came after a … Read more
In 1782, Saint Junípero Serra founded his final mission—San Buenaventura—in what is now the city of Ventura, California. In 1833, the Mexican government confiscated the land and sold it to ranchers. By 1936, over 100 years after the Mexican secularization act and almost a century after becoming part of the United States, … Read more
Nearly 300 years ago, Saint Junipero Serra landed on the West coast of the New World with his missionary brothers. Within less than half a decade, the holy friar founded 21 missions and was responsible for the conversion of countless American Indians. It’s no surprise these actions earned him the illustrious moniker, … Read more