Serra Junipero Biography Update, Age, Personal Life, Mission, Legacy, Death

Junípero Serra Ferrer (November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784), often called Junipero Serra, was a Spanish Catholic priest and Franciscan missionary. He helped set up the Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Serra also founded a mission in Baja California and started eight of the 21 Spanish missions in California, stretching from San Diego to San Francisco, during the period when the region was under Spanish rule.

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Pope John Paul II beatified Serra on September 25, 1988, in Vatican City. Despite criticism from Native American groups who said Serra was involved in harsh colonial practices, Pope Francis made him a saint on September 23, 2015, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Because of his missionary work, Serra became known as the “Apostle of California.”

Serra’s reputation and his work as a missionary have faced criticism both before and after he became a saint. Critics say he forced Native Americans to convert to Catholicism and that many converts suffered abuse.

Profile Summary

Age

Miguel José Serra Ferrer was born on November 24, 1713, in Petra, Majorca, Spain.

Biography

Serra was born as Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrer, which is his name in Catalan. In Castilian, his name is Miguel José Serra y Ferrer. He was born in the village of Petra on the island of Mallorca (Majorca) in the Balearic Islands, near the Mediterranean coast of Spain. His parents, Antonio Nadal Serra and Margarita Rosa Ferrer, married in 1707.

By the time he was seven, Miquel helped his parents in the fields, growing wheat and beans and looking after cattle. He was especially interested in the nearby Franciscan friary at the church of San Bernardino, just a block from his home. At the friars’ primary school, he learned to read, write, do math, and study Latin, religion, and church music, especially Gregorian chant. He had a good singing voice and enjoyed music, often joining the choir for special church events. Miquel and his father Antonio also visited the friary to talk with the Franciscans.

When Miquel was 16, his parents sent him to a Franciscan school in Palma de Majorca, the capital city, where he studied philosophy. One year later, he joined the Franciscan order as a novice.

Missions founded

When the group arrived in San Diego on July 1, Serra stayed to start Mission San Diego de Alcalá, which was the first of the 21 California missions. He also led the founding of the nearby Visita de la Presentación.

In 1770, Junipero Serra moved to what is now Monterey and founded Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo. He stayed there as the leader of the Alta California missions. In 1771, he moved the mission to Carmel, which became known as Mission Carmel and served as his headquarters. While he was in charge, the following missions were founded:

• Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, July 16, 1769, present-day San Diego, California.
• Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, June 3, 1770, present-day Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
• Mission San Antonio de Padua, founded on July 14, 1771, near present-day Jolon, California, was later turned into a parish church and no longer serves as a mission.
• Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, September 8, 1771, present-day San Gabriel, California.
• Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, September 1, 1772, present-day city of San Luis Obispo, California.
• Mission San Francisco de Asís, founded on June 29, 1776, is located in present-day San Francisco and is part of the California mission chain.
• Mission San Juan Capistrano, November 1, 1776, present-day San Juan Capistrano
• Mission Santa Clara de Asís, January 12, 1777, present-day city of Santa Clara, California, and
• Mission San Buenaventura, founded on March 31, 1782, is in present-day Ventura, California. It was later converted into a parish.

Serra was present when the Presidio of Santa Barbara was founded on April 21, 1782, but he could not establish a mission there because Governor Felipe de Neve opposed it.

Death

In his last three years, Serra traveled over 600 miles to visit the missions from San Diego to San Francisco and confirm everyone who had been baptized. He suffered from a bad leg and chest pain but refused treatment. He confirmed 5,309 people, most of whom were California Indian converts from the previous fourteen years.

Junípero Serra died of tuberculosis at Mission San Carlos Borromeo on August 28, 1784, at age 70. He was buried under the sanctuary there. After his death, Fermín Lasuén took over leadership of the Franciscan missions in Alta California.

Legacy

Many of Serra’s letters and documents still exist. The most important are his “Diario” about the journey from Loreto to San Diego, published in Out West (March to June 1902), and his Representación.

The Junípero Serra Collection (1713–1947) at the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library contains some of the earliest archival materials. The library is part of the Mission Santa Barbara complex but now operates as a separate non-profit educational and research institution. It still maintains connections to the Franciscans and Serra’s legacy.

The chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano, built in 1782, is believed to be the oldest building still standing in California. Often called “Father Serra’s Church,” it is the only church left where Serra is known to have performed Catholic rites. He confirmed 213 people there on October 12 and 13, 1783.