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 some to question his good reputation: “Maybe he was harsh on the Indians. After all, weren’t the natives living in peace and harmony before Fr. Serra and the ruthless Spanish arrived?”
The record needs to be set straight.
Saint Junipero Serra was a friend and dedicated father to the natives. He improved their lives and brought them Christian civilization. Most importantly, he brought thousands of natives into the fold of Holy Mother Church and therefore saved many souls.
His Early Life
Saint Junipero was born in 1713 on the island of Majorca, Spain. His parents named him Miguel Jose. During his childhood, he was frail and never enjoyed good health.
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Miguel Jose had a keen mind and excelled in university studies. He eventually entered the Franciscan Order, taking the name Junipero after Franciscan Saint Junipero. He became famous for his learning and was appointed to the chair of Duns Scotus at the University of Palma, the university’s most distinguished position. He had a prestigious academic career ahead of him. However, God had other plans.
“Always Go Forward and Never Go Back.”
Since his youth, Junipero wanted to be a missionary. After teaching at the university for ten years, Junipero and his friend Fr. Francisco Palou asked to go to the missions. They were denied permission, but after some friars decided not to go, vacancies opened up for Saint Junipero and Fr. Palou. Before leaving, Saint Junipero wrote a letter to his parents, saying, “Always go forward and never go back,” which sums up his indefatigable spirit.
Saint Junipero and his fellow friars finally arrived in Mexico after a daunting voyage. In his frequent and prolonged travels through Mexico, he suffered many hardships.
On one journey, he was stung by a scorpion. The poisonous sting left his leg partially paralyzed, crippling him for life.
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For seven years, Saint Junipero stayed in Mexico, evangelizing the Indians. He was known for his fiery defense of the truth on the pulpit and his patience and compassion with individuals.
Because of his holy reputation, Saint Junipero was appointed Commissioner of the Holy Inquisition of New Spain. He never condemned any heretics to the stake in this role, but he did root out heretical and dangerous writings. He was later sent to the missions in Baja California. During the ten years he spent there, Saint Junipero pacified and civilized an area where had failed for two centuries. However, the saint achieved even greater success with his next assignment in Upper California.
The Last of the Conquistadors
In 1768, Jose de Galvez led an expedition to Upper California, now the State of California. He asked Saint Junipero to accompany him and set up a mission system in those unsettled lands. The strong-willed and daring Galvez found Serra to be a man of his liking. After dedicating the venture to Saint Joseph, Galvez sent Junipero with the new Governor, Gaspar de Portola.
Saint Junipero founded the first mission, San Fernando de Velicata, named after King Saint Ferdinand III. Here the Spanish met with the pagan natives for the first time. Serra wrote of this meeting: “They [the Indians] have taken possession of my heart.”
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At Velicata, Saint Junipero’s leg became so swollen that he could no longer walk. Governor Portola urged him to return. However, Saint Junipero was made of sterner stuff. “I have put my trust in God, who has permitted me to reach this point,” he said. “If He wills that I should die on the way, let me be buried where I fall; it will be sweet to me to rest in pagan earth; but nothing in the world will persuade me to turn back.”
After being carried on a stretcher for some time, Saint Junipero had a muleteer apply a foul-smelling poultice (made for a lame mule) to his leg. Soon he was able to ride again.
At the newly founded mission of San Diego, the colony ran low on food. The governor declared that if supply ships did not arrive by March 14, the project would be abandoned. Saint Junipero pleaded with Portola to wait until the feast of Saint Joseph on March 19, to which Portola agreed. Saint Junipero and a few followers made up their minds that if everyone else left, they would stay in California and die while converting the Indians.
Serra organized a novena to Saint Joseph for the salvation of the San Diego colony. The evening before the governor’s deadline, Serra saw a ship on the horizon. The saint’s prayerful determination saved the expedition to California.
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Saint Junipero experienced severe hardship. For example, on the feast of the Assumption, most of the soldiers boarded the ships to attend Mass. Only Fr. Junipero, six soldiers, and a few men stayed behind at camp. Taking notice, the Indians attacked, and Saint Junipero’s native helper boy, Jose, was shot in the neck with a poisoned arrow and died in Serra’s arms. Undaunted, Saint Junipero continued to push for the natives’ conversion.
Saint Junipero founded the Missions of San Carlos, San Antonio, San Gabriel, San Luis, San Juan, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Buenaventura. Many of these are now major American cities.
Were the Missions like Concentration Camps?
Saint Junipero’s missions sought to convert, educate, and civilize the natives. However, anti-Catholic authors try to rewrite history by unjustly comparing the Spanish missions to concentration camps. This claim is false.
According to the law of the time, natives could not be forced to join the missions. Those who resided in the missions came freely. If they joined the mission, they were expected to stay within its boundaries. However, the boundaries of the missions were frequently the same traditional territorial boundaries established by the natives. Thus, the natives usually occupied the same territory where they had always lived.
The missions were typically placed under the guardianship of two priests and half a dozen soldiers. The Indians would also elect their own officials and representatives.
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At the missions, the Franciscans gave the natives food, clothing, shelter, education and civilization. The natives also learned essential skills, such as agriculture and construction. The average workday was between five and seven hours with about ninety holidays and all Sundays off. Most importantly, they were educated in the Faith, and many souls were saved.
Although some Indians fled the missions and rebelled, most stayed.
Oppressor or Defender?
Saint Junipero was the defender, not the oppressor of the Indians. Under the governorship of Pedro Fages, some Spanish soldiers attacked, killed and stole from the Indians. Against the wishes of Governor Fages, Saint Junipero fought against these abuses, complaining to the authorities. He eventually passed a document titled Representación comprised of 32 articles to protect the rights of the Indians.
The claim that Saint Junipero mistreated the natives is false. When the natives violated a religious or secular law, the penalty was the same for Spaniards and Indians alike. At other times, he obtained clemency. Saint Junipero once held back the Governor’s punishing hand when a mission was attacked by rebellious Indians, which resulted in the death of Spaniards, including a Franciscan priest.
In 1784, Saint Junipero was 70-years-old and residing at Carmel-at-the-Sea. His long-time friend Fr. Francisco Palou visited him for the last time. Suffering from tuberculosis, Saint Junipero was reaching the end of his earthly life.
The day before he died, Fr. Palou heard Saint Junipero’s general confession. Saint Junipero refused to receive Holy Communion in bed and made his way to the church.
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On his way, soldiers and natives followed their beloved father. At the Church, Saint Junipero intoned the Tantum Ergo and received the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The next day, he asked Fr. Palou to recite the prayers for the dying, who then left him to rest. Fr. Palou returned a little while later to find Saint Junipero in bed with his crucifix in his hands upon his chest. He had rendered his soul to God.
When the natives found out about his death, they surrounded Saint Junipero’s hut crying in sorrow and asking for relics. While his body was exposed in the church, a guard prevented the natives from cutting his habit to pieces. About his burial, Fr. Palou writes, “The weeping of the congregation drowned out the voices of the singers.”
Were the natives weeping for their oppressor?
After fifteen years of toil in Upper California, Saint Junipero founded nine missions. He is also responsible for the 21 missions that were eventually established. He converted 5,000 Indians during his life and thousands more converted later due to his heroic evangelization.
Saint Junipero obeyed Christ’s great commission, “Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt 28: 19). This true son of the Church loved the Indians as his true children. He was their spiritual father and most generous benefactor. His greatest desire was to save their souls.
Saint Junipero Serra, pray for us!
Footnotes:
The Last of the Conquistadors Junipero Serra by Omer Englebert translated by Katherine Woods, Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York 1956