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July 14, 2020
Gregory Mitchell
Los Angeles
A banner was put up in Los Angeles in Father Serra park to tell the real story of the St. Junipero Serra with a quote from Pope Francis. His statue was torn down here at this park. I’m in Los Angeles doing some outreach. According to the California Catholic Bishops, there is a fake history going around accusing the saint of the genocide of the indigenous. While there were abuses this according to them does not meet historical rigor.
Archbishop Cordileone pointed out in his recent statement:
St. Serra made heroic sacrifices to protect the indigenous people of California from their Spanish conquerors, especially the soldiers. Even with his infirmed leg which caused him such pain, he walked all the way to Mexico City to obtain special faculties of governance from the Viceroy of Spain in order to discipline the military who were abusing the Indians. And then he walked back to California.
And lest there be any doubt, we have a physical reminder to this day: everywhere there is a presidio (soldiers’ barracks) associated with a mission in the chain of 21 missions that he founded, the presidio is miles away from the mission itself and the school. St. Junipero Serra also offered them the best thing he had: the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ, which he and his fellow Franciscan friars did through education, health care, and training in the agrarian arts.
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