“Always forward, never back” – the inspiring story of Blessed Junipero Serra

[sr.christinaosf]

JULY 1, 2015 / OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT 

Today as we start another month (and another half of the calendar), the Church honors Blessed Junipero Serra.  I had heard that Pope Francis plans to canonize him during his visit to America this fall and that this will be the first canonization on American soil.  Besides his tie with our country’s history, I am interested in this exemplary missionary for a couple other reasons.  First of all, he is a Franciscan, as am I (obviously we are from different branches, but the same ‘family’).  Also, he was a Spaniard.  I studied Spanish for several years in school and Serra’s heritage, language, and cultural background increase my interest in him.  His feastday is a good excuse for me to learn a little more about him.  I will draw my information for this article fromamericancatholic.org and catholic.org.

Although this ‘Blessed’ was born ‘Miguel Jose’ on the island of Majorca, Spain (1713), he acquired the name Junipero when entering the Franciscan order.  I would venture to guess this name was given in honor of the early Franciscan Brother Juniper.  Serra was ordained a priest and taught at the University of Padua up to 1749.  He was famous for his preaching.

Leaving his home continent at 37 years of age, Serra spent the remainder of his life serving on the North American Continent.  In coming here, he was driven by a desire to convert the native peoples and inspired by the example of St. Francis Solanus in South America.  After arriving in the New World and before arriving at Mexico City, he suffered an insect bite on his 250-mile journey, which became infected.  Repercussions of this would bother him for the rest of his life.  Some years later, he took over missions in California (both lower and upper) since the Jesuits were no longer able to serve there.

He was a very hard worker and is credited largely “for the foundation and spread of the Church on the West Coast of the United States when it was still mission territory,” according to catholic.org.  This included the founding of 21 mission and converting of thousands of natives (baptizing over 6,000 and confirming 5,000).  In addition to receiving the gospel from Serra, these people were also instructed in agricultural and artistic matters; He helped them have a decent standard of living.

Serra was not afraid to deny himself and practiced penance in his life’s activities.  Serra also faced cold, hunger, and struggles with military commanders as well as risks to his life from some of the natives.  He devoted long hours to prayer as well, often spending most of the night drawing strength from prayer.  He was just over 70 when he died.  He was beatified within my lifetime, in 1988, by John Paul II.

His motto was: “Always forward, never back”

[BarbTherese]

Always forward, never back!

[Yaatee]

Another view on Junipero Serra, here:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-platt-serra-sainthood-pope-francis-20150125-story.html

[MarysLittleFlower]

Another view on Junipero Serra, here:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-platt-serra-sainthood-pope-francis-20150125-story.html

nothing wrong with evangelising non Christian peoples, that is an act of charity. Nothing wrong with a great love for God even if to the world it almost always looks fanatical. Oh well! Nothing wrong with penance either. I'm sure he's an amesome saint.

[Credo in Deum]

http://www.missionsandiego.org/archbishop-jose-gomez-on-father-junipero-serra-the-spiritual-dicvover-of-the-new-world/

 

[Yaatee]

There is a strong body of evidence the the Franciscan friars throughout the southwest abused the native Americans in many ways. They were used for hard physical labor. Their grains and fruits of their labors were confiscated. Artifacts of their religions were destroyed.  True, the friars weren't as bad as the governors, but they were bad.  Many natives caved and followed the path of least resistance into the church.  Many others hated them. But the Franciscans got what they desired; the natives were baptised and and they and their cultures vanished.  In building the church at Acoma, in New Mexico, the friars made the Indians carry long heavy spars on foot from Mt. Taylor, forty miles away, then haul them to the top of the mesa for construction. After Onate conquered Acoma in 1599, after a fierce fight, the Spaniards enslaved the men and carted off the women and children, chopping off the right foot of every tenth man. These weren't the Franciscans, of course, just the Spanish Catholics.  The role of the Franciscans in the southwest has been greatly romanticized and glossed over. 

The protestant denominations I think are fortunate in avoiding making saints out of fallible humans, constrained by their own times. Rarely, do a few individuals rise above their own times; one was Francis of Assisi, another was Francis de Sales.  I think that John XXIII was another, in, among other things, the calling of the council and the many Jews he saved.

[Yaatee]

nothing wrong with evangelising non Christian peoples, that is an act of charity. Nothing wrong with a great love for God even if to the world it almost always looks fanatical. Oh well! Nothing wrong with penance either. I'm sure he's an amesome saint.

MLF, I really don't think that penance should be forced from above by coercion.  And many peoples really do resent being evangelized, also almost always by coercion.

[MarysLittleFlower]

There's nothing against Blessed Junipero... He seems like a holy man.

[MarysLittleFlower]

MLF, I really don't think that penance should be forced from above by coercion.  And many peoples really do resent being evangelized, also almost always by coercion.

again I don't think this Blessed coerced anyone. I don't want to debate.. I accept all the Saints of the Church. 

[Yaatee]

There's nothing against Blessed Junipero... He seems like a holy man.

I am sure that he meant well. He was just a product of his time.

[BarbTherese]

I am sure that he meant well. He was just a product of his time.

Well said and something very important to note!  We are all products of our times and as someone pointed out somewhere in some thread, not many at all manage to step outside of their own time - be visionary, prophetic and transcending.  St Francis of Assisi, St Francis de Sales and Pope John XXIII were quoted as having stepped out their own times as indeed they did.  St Therese of Lisieux was another visionary, prophetic and transcending saint in her times.  There are probably many more.

Saints are canonized for heroic virtue in their times.

This can be a problem for some to many I think when reading the lives of the saints and their writings, leading to confusions and misunderstandings - the reader can forget that most all of us are indeed a product of our times as are many of our saints probably.

[MarysLittleFlower]

I personally wouldnt criticize a Saint though. These people did far more in the love and service of God than me. Why not talk about the beauty of their life? We are speaking of someone who loved God and now loves Him in Heaven. They learned to TRULY love Him. What can we learn from them? If some journalist wishes to criticize a Saint... Like in the above article... Why do we like to take people more advanced and try to bring them to our level?

Yes they were imperfect and lived in a particular time. Is our time truly better? I wouldn't say so. Saying that a saint did this and this wrong - its like trying to lessen them. Why? They have an everlasting crown of glory in Heaven. We do not. Why not speak of how beautiful their life was? Even dwelling on any failings of others is bad..  So much more true for the Saints! Especially if its just accusations.

I'm sorry if I sound harsh but dwelling on some imperfection of a person who gave his life to God seems like making a mountain from a molehill . :)(If such an imperfection even exists and isn't invented). I know Barbara you are just giving a reminder that Saints aren't perfect and that's true. I mean more when people devote much time to 'exposing' the flaws (real or imagined) of some saint...

Like the article. Not only do I disagree (its not wrong to evangelize native peoples, just think of St Kateri), but its like trying to bring a saint to the low level of our critical, relativistic society.  Why don't we first try to do what they did, then comment on any of their flaws  

Edited July 4, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower

[BarbTherese]

Never be afraid of truth - while there does seem to be much disagreement over the life of Blessed Junipero.  There can be far too much whitewash at times applied over the lives of our saints.   We are all without exemption saints and we are sinners.  With our canonized saints it becomes evident that the saint in heroic virtue far outweighed any failings.  Because a saint is declared a saint does not mean at all that they were heroic in virtue in all things - not at all - and nothing wrong to my mind in pointing out where they went wrong.  In fact, in pointing out the mistakes and foibles of our saints, they become more like us and more imitable.  Pointing out their errors, can lead to a search as to just why they are saints and so we might arrive at the real essence of their sanctity and holiness.  I feel suspect when a saint is stated in the media as overwhelmingly at fault - just as I feel suspect when a saint is painted brilliantly white.  The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Always forward never back!

[puellapaschalis]

We are not all saints 'without exception'.

[beatitude]

We are not all saints 'without exception'.

Yes.

MarysLittleFlower, in saying things like "I wouldn't criticise a saint" we can actually veer perilously close to idolatry. Only God is perfect.

Terrible things went on in mission boarding schools. I used to think of it as just a historical problem, long since over, until I started researching into complex trauma as part of my PhD. I found some horrifying stuff from Native Americans who were attending mission boarding school as recently as the 50s and 60s. As Catholics we can't shy away from this, or say that it was just a few bad apples - there was a systemic problem of abuse in those schools, which is unsurprising when you consider that a segregated education system is fundamentally wrong. Corralling children of one ethnic group into separate schools so they can be pushed into an entire different culture is never going to turn out well. This is not evangelism. It's abuse. At one point the government made it compulsory for indigenous children to attend these schools, and if they didn't go they would be forcibly taken from their parents. Church authorities were wrong to cooperate in this. For the sake of the people who suffered, we have to say it.