On November 24, 1713, a very tiny, very weak little baby was born on the island of Majorca. He was baptized quickly because everyone was afraid he would die. Miguel Serra did grow up to be a small man. But this small man walked thousands of miles through the Mexican and California wilderness in the service of Spain and his own religious beliefs.
Miguel's parents could not read or write, but they wanted their little boy to go to school. There was a school near their home, the Order of Saint Francis. It was run by Franciscan friars. Tiny Miguel Serra turned out to be one of the best students the friars had ever seen. Besides that, he had a voice like an angel. Soon, he was singing in the community choir.
When Miguel was fifteen, he was sent to Palma to continue his studies. There he worked hard and lived the life of a Franciscan friar. After two years he joined the order. He took the priestly name of Junípero. He named himself after a friend of St. Francis of Assisi. The original Junípero was a man known as "the little jester of God."
Father Junipero was famous teacher (Dr. Serra, or Dr. Junípero was what his students called him at the University). In August of 1749, Father Junípero was sailing to Cádiz to fulfill his lifetime dream of a missionary.
After (99 days) he arrived in Vera Cruz, horses and mules were waiting to take the missionaries to Mexico City. But Father Junípero said that he preferred to walk. It was a rule of the Franciscan order that friars were supposed to walk unless they were sick or injured. After many days of walking, one of Father Serras' legs became swollen, blistered, and badly infected. On December 31, 1749, he arrived in Mexico City to began training. They were taught about native American customs.
Native Americans, of course, had their own religion and way of life. But Christians believed that, if these people were not told about Jesus, if they did not come to accept the Christian god, they would be doomed. Miguel wanted with all his heart to save them.
His first assignment was in the wild mountains of Sierra Gorda. After eight years in Sierra Gorda, King Charles III of Spain decided that the Jesuit priests who had built missions in lower California were dangerous to the Spanish crown. He decided to replace them all with Franciscans, whom he believed were more loyal.
In 1767, Father Serra was sent to Baja California as the President of the Baja California Missions. Father Palou and father Crespi were also assigned to these missions also. From that time on, Father Junipero was part of a team made up of himself, José de Gálvez, the Spanish Inspector General, and Gaspar de Portolá, the military Governor of California.
Together, Gálvez, Portolá and Serra planned to set up missions all the way up the coast of California to San Francisco. Since there was nothing Spanish in California for Portolá to govern except the missions, he and Father Junipero were partners. The first mission was founded at San Diego in 1769. Although they had many problems starting the mission in San Diego, they did succeed. He went on to establish eight other missions.
The purpose of the Spanish missions was not just to convert native Americans to Christianity. The missions were seen as the first step toward Spanish settlements in the area. Father Junipero brought to his task an undying enthusiasm. When he found the soldiers abusive to the natives, Serra decided that something must be done.
Soldiers assigned to protect the missions led unhappy and often very boring lives, Serra believed this was part of the problem. He asked that the soldiers be allowed to bring their wives and families to live with them. He also asked for other changes in the missions. He was so convincing that the viceroy agreed to everything.
Life at the missions was very different after the families came. And they were followed by other Spanish settlers. Soon there were farms on the rich land. The missions - San Diego, San Francisco,m San Antonio, San Luis Obispo and others - became towns. Father Junipero worked side by side with one governor after another.
Then, finally, there came a governor who took away Father Junipero's position, refusing to allow him to found another mission. Two years later, at the age of seventy, Father Junipero died.
Father Serra will be remembered as a man whom governed the area with efficiency...and an extraordinary executive. Statues abound in his memory.
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Serra's tomb
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