Feast Day: July 1
Patron of Vocations, California, and Hispanic Americans
St. Junípero Serra is not merely a figure of the past but a powerful witness for our present times—a priest whose burning love for Christ drove him to leave everything behind and bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. For devout Catholics, his life is not a political statement or a historical debate—it is a shining example of heroic virtue, missionary zeal, and unwavering fidelity to God’s call.
A Missionary Spirit Born of Deep Prayer
Born on the island of Mallorca, Spain, in 1713, Miguel José Serra was a brilliant student and a professor of theology before becoming a humble Franciscan friar. Taking the name Junípero—after a joyful and childlike companion of St. Francis of Assisi—he sought to imitate the simplicity and fervor of the first disciples. This was no comfortable Christianity. His life was forged by penance, fasting, long hours of prayer, and a deep desire to suffer for Christ.
When he set sail for the New World at age 36, he was not chasing adventure—he was answering a divine summons. He left behind prestige and comfort, knowing full well that the road ahead would be one of hardship and trial. He arrived in Mexico and later walked over 250 miles on foot to preach Christ to indigenous peoples, even after a leg infection left him with chronic pain for the rest of his life.
California’s Spiritual Founder
St. Junípero Serra is rightly called the “Father of California.” Beginning in 1769, he established a chain of missions along the coast that eventually became the foundation of many of California’s major cities—San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Juan Capistrano, and others. But the missions were more than settlements. They were centers of evangelization, education, agriculture, and refuge. They were built to share the love of Christ, to baptize and catechize, and to bring dignity and stability to lives often threatened by violence, disease, and exploitation.
Serra baptized over 6,000 indigenous converts himself and oversaw the construction of nine missions. His motto, taken from St. Paul, was “Siempre adelante, nunca atrás”—“Always forward, never back.” His mission work was fueled not by imperial politics but by a heart aflame for Christ and a love for the souls entrusted to him.
Defender of the Native Peoples
Much has been misunderstood about Serra’s legacy, especially in today’s climate of historical revisionism. Some accuse him of being part of a colonial machine. But the truth, as documented by those who knew him and his own writings, tells a different story: Serra often stood in opposition to the abuses of Spanish soldiers. He wrote tirelessly to defend the rights of the native peoples, asking the Spanish governor for justice and even corporal punishment for military men who mistreated the indigenous communities. He insisted that mission Indians be treated as children of God, with dignity, care, and instruction in the faith.
His cause for canonization included an investigation of his writings and actions, and Pope Francis, who canonized him in 2015, declared Serra a saint precisely because of his courageous love and his defense of the marginalized.
What He Teaches Us Today
In an age when comfort and convenience often define our religious lives, St. Junípero Serra calls us to more. He calls us to missionary boldness. To love God enough to go where we are not comfortable. To love our neighbors enough to share with them the fullness of life found in Jesus Christ and His Church. To live not for ourselves, but for souls.
He reminds us that true sanctity is often misunderstood, opposed, and even maligned—but that fidelity to Christ is worth every wound.
Let us not be ashamed of our saints. Let us imitate them.
“If I am to die, I want it to be here, among the Indians, giving my life for them.”
— St. Junípero Serra
A Prayer to St. Junípero Serra
O God, who by Your ineffable mercy chose St. Junípero Serra to proclaim the Gospel to the peoples of the Americas, grant us, through his intercession, the grace to walk always forward in faith and love, bearing witness to Christ in all we do. May we have the courage to speak truth, the humility to serve, and the joy that comes from following You. Amen.
