As we celebrate St. Junipero Serra ’s feast day, it is worthwhile to take a closer look at this priest, missionary, and saint—commonly known as the “Apostle to California.” He has been revered for centuries, especially in California, but in recent years his memory has faced an onslaught of controversy and criticism. However, despite the dismantling of his statues, the Church, through the visible actions of the late Pope Francis, chose to raise him to sainthood. As we all work towards sanctity, we can look to this witness in the cloud for guidance and encouragement. 

Born in Spain in 1713, St. Junipero Serra took the name St. Francis of Assisi’s close companion when he joined the order St. Francis founded. Even as a Franciscan, he remained a man of letters, spending most of his young adulthood learning and then teaching. It was during this time that he became renowned for his preaching, much like St. Francis himself. 

However, despite his established life and his enjoyment of and proficiency in his intellectual work, his heart desired to work in service of the poor and those who yearned for a faith they did not yet have. In 1749, he sailed from Spain to Mexico. After walking 250 miles to Mexico City—and suffering a foot injury that would plague him for the rest of his life—he stayed in central Mexico and the surrounding areas for the following 18 years, working with and converting the natives there. 

When King Charles III of Spain ordered a conquistador expedition further into California (with the goal of beating the Russian expedition into the territory), St. Junipero Serra was persuaded to join. In 1769, after a 900 mile journey, the mission of San Diego was founded. During the remainder of his life, St. Junipero Serra would found 9 of the 21 California missions, baptizing over 6000 souls and confirming 5000. 

Today, many people have been outraged over the continued devotion to St. Junipero Serra, especially within California—conflating the savagery and violence of many of the Spanish conquerors with the missionary work of St. Junipero Serra and his companions. However, this would be an unfair view of St. Junipero Serra ’s work and feeling towards the natives he served. His missionary work was fraught with disagreements with the military: at one point, he even made the long walk back to Mexico City to discuss his differences with the military commander. An article by Franciscan Media states that this resulted in a regulation that was the “basis for the first significant legislation in California, a “Bill of Rights” for Native Americans.” This article goes on to explain that the Spanish friars were made the guardians of the natives “because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman life from the Spanish point of view… The Native Americans were kept at the mission after baptism lest they be corrupted in their former haunts—a move that has brought cries of “injustice” from some moderns.” Judging with modern eyes, we can, of course, pick at antiquated ways of doing things in St. Junipero Serra's work. However, these flaws, driven by prevailing social theory at the time, do not overshadow the work that St. Junipero Serra did to better the natives’ quality of life and bring their souls the nourishment of Christ. (For a more in-depth discussion of this, see the California Missions Foundation on St. Junipero Serra, as well as St. Junipero Serra ’s own letters.)

To add to the controversy, Pope Francis waived the two miracle requirement for canonization in St. Junipero Serra ’s case and instead canonized him after only one miracle (the miracle that caused his beatification by Pope St. John Paul II). However, this is not an unprecedented move: Pope St. John XXIII and St. Joseph Vaz were both canonized without two miracles. Instead, Pope Francis cited St. Junipero Serra ’s zeal, Marian devotion, and personal holiness as grounds for canonization, noting “Such zeal excites us! It challenges us!”

How can we, now living in such civilized times, find ways to be excited and challenged by St. Junipero Serra’s zeal? The Catholic Encyclopedia describes zeal as “a necessary effect of love” with particular emphasis on the “vehemence, or intensity, of the action to which love impels.” It also differentiates between two types of zeal: that which manifests in working towards the first great Commandment and that which manifests in working towards the second. 

This second type, a zeal for souls, was clearly on display in the life of St. Junipero Serra. Certainly, his zeal for the souls of those he served in Mexico and California, culminating in the large number of converts he baptized should excite us! While most of the faithful are not called to leave home on lifelong missionary journeys, as St. Junipero Serra was, we can all still find a personal call and challenge in his efficacious zeal. Most people have those in their lives who are leading lives outside of the Church’s embrace. Let us not be persuaded by the postmodern virtue of tolerance and leave these souls behind. It would be a great disservice to fail to attempt to lead them closer to Christ, in whatever form that takes in each scenario. Let the zeal of St. Junipero Serra remind us to see an immortal soul in need of Christ in each person we meet!