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Blessed Junipero Serra

July 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

//www.wf-f.org/WFFResource/BlessedSerra.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.Above portrait of Blessed Junipero Serra discovered in a Zacatecas, Mexico second-hand store in 1954 by Harry Downie.

Blessed Junipero Serra

Born Miguel José Serra Ferrer in Petra, on the Balearic Island of Majorca on 24 November 1713, Fr. Serra renamed himself in honor of Saint Juniper, who had also been a Franciscan. On 14 September 1730 he entered the Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.). For his proficiency in studies he was appointed lector of philosophy before his ordination to the priesthood. Later he received a doctorate in theology from the Lullian University in Palma, where he also occupied the Duns Scotus chair of philosophy at the College of San Fernando until he joined the missionary college of San Fernando, Mexico in 1749.

That year he traveled to North America, first to Mexico City, where he taught. While traveling on foot from Vera Cruz to the capital, he injured his leg in such a way that he suffered from it throughout the rest of his life, though he continued to make his journeys on foot whenever possible. He requested a transfer to the Sierra Gorda Indian Missions some thirty leagues north of Queretaro where he spent nine years, including time as the mission’s superior, learned the language of the Pame Indians, and translated the catechism into their language. Recalled to Mexico, he became famous as a fervent and effective preacher of missions.

In 1767 Serra was appointed superior of a band of fifteen Franciscans for the Indian Missions of Lower California. The Franciscans took over the administration of the missions on the Baja California Peninsula from the Jesuits on February 3, 1768 with Father Serra serving as “Father Presidente.” On 12 March 1768, Serra set out from the Pacific port of San Blas on his way to California. Early in 1769, he accompanied Governor Gaspar de Portolà on his expedition to Nueva California. On the way he established the Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá on May 14 (the only Franciscan mission in all of Baja California). When the party reached San Diego on 1 July, Serra stayed behind to start Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the first of the twenty-one California missions (including the nearby Visita de la Presentación, also founded under Serra’s leadership) which accomplished the conversions of all the natives on the coast as far as Sonoma in the north. When Monterey was reached and Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo founded, Serra remained there as “Father Presidente” of the Alta California missions. In 1771 he relocated the mission to Carmel, which became known as “Mission Carmel” and served as his headquarters. Under his presidency were founded Mission San Antonio de Padua, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Francisco de Asís, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and Mission San Buenaventura.

In 1773, difficulties with Pedro Fages, the military commander, compelled Father Serra to travel to Mexico City to argue before Viceroy Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursua for the removal of Fages as the Governor of California Nueva. At the capital of Mexico, by order of Viceroy Bucareli, he drew up his Representación in thirty-two articles. Bucareli ruled in Serra’s favor on 30 of the 32 charges brought against Fages, who removed him from office in 1774, after which time Serra returned to California. In 1778, Serra was given dispensation to administer the sacrament of confirmation for the faithful in California.

During the remaining three years of his life he once more visited the missions from San Diego to San Francisco, traveling more than 600 miles in the process, in order to confirm all who had been baptized. He suffered intensely from his crippled leg and from his chest, yet he would use no remedies. He confirmed 5,309 persons, who, with but few exceptions, were Indians.

On 28 August 1784 at the age of 70, Father Serra died at Mission Carmel and was interred there under the sanctuary floor. Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988.

The chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano, built in 1782, is believed to be the oldest standing building in California. Known as “Father Serra’s Church,” it has the distinction of being the only remaining church in which the padre is known to have officiated. A bronze statue represents him as the apostolic preacher at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Besides extraordinary fortitude, his conspicuous virtues included his zeal, humilty and absolute faith and confidence in God. The wide esteem for him by Californians is evidenced by the fact that Mrs. Leland Stanford, a non-Catholic, had a granite monument erected to him at Monterey.

In 1884 the Legislature of California passed a concurrent resolution making 29 August of that year, the centennial of Father Serra’s burial, a legal holiday. Many of Serra’s letters and other documentation are extant, the principal ones being his Diary of the journey from Loreto to San Diego, which was published in Out West (March to June, 1902) along with Serra’s Representación.

A statue of Father Serra represents the state of California in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building. It was sculpted by Ettore Cadorin and depicts Serra holding a cross and looking toward the sky. Both Spain and the United States have honored Serra with postage stamps.

“Siempre adelante, nunca retrodecer”

What follows is only a sample of the Web Sites that promote and foster VOCATIONS.
1. Recruitment/Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
 Within the branches of military service there’s a recruiter different than any other. He is a priest-recruiter. His job is to help priests discern whether they have a call to become a chaplain in one of the branches of the U.S. Military.

2. VISION VOCATION NETWORK
Many exciting features to help you discern your life’s calling. Whether you are interested in consecrated life—such as becoming a nun, brother, priest, or monk—or simply looking for ways to deepen your faith through volunteer and study opportunities.

3. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS VOCATIONS HANDBOOK
As the largest Catholic fraternal society in the world, the
Knights of Columbus is happy to join in promoting priestly and
religious vocations in the Church. In carrying forward this work,
a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities is essential.

4. Explore the Possibilities of being a Poor Clare Nun
THIS SITE IS FOR YOUNG WOMEN WHO WANT TO LEARN MORE, HAVE A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH AND DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AS LIVED IN MONASTIC LIFE.

5. The Xaverian Brothers
The Xaverian Brothers, a congregation of lay religious, were founded by Theodore James Ryken (Brother Francis Xavier) in Bruges, Belgium, in1839, for the education of youth, especially in America.

6. Medical Missionaries of Mary
While we are a modern religious Congregation, our roots are in the ancient tradition of Saint Benedict. Our priority is to go to places of great need. We remain there until the local people can take over responsibility for their health care themselves. Through our website we tell the story of why, where and how we do this.

7. Sisters in Jesus the Lord
Sisters in Jesus the Lord is a private association seeking to
“bring people to Jesus and Jesus to people” (John Paul II), starting
with reviving the Roman Catholic Church in the Russian Far-East.

8. The Carmelite Monks in Wyoming
The Carmelite Monks are men who are consecrated to God through the Vows of Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty. They live a life of prayer, solitude, penance, and strict separation from the world. Their lives are completely dedicated to interceding for the Church and the world.

9. The Passionists (C.P. Congregation of the Passion)
The Passionists (C.P. Congregation of the Passion) are a religious community of priests, brothers, sisters and nuns in the Roman Catholic tradition. We also are comprised of many lay partners (a type of third order) as well as laity who advise and minister with us. See our website at: www.passionist.org See our sister’s blog at: PassionistNuns

10. Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence
The story of the Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence provides a window into a response of the Church to the effects of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. It documents Mexican American womens spirituality, Tejano faith formation, and a documentation of the only Mexican American order of religious women that has been founded in the U.S.


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