• Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
The Texas Catholic
The Texas Catholic

Dallas, Texas

Today is Sunday, March 26, 2023
  • Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
Home
Bishop Kevin Farrell

The canonization of St. Junipero Serra

Friday, October 2, 2015

Pope Francis pauses in front of the sculpture of St. Junipero Serra in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington Sept. 24. (CNS photo/Michael Reynolds, pool)

Pope Francis pauses in front of the sculpture of St. Junipero Serra in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington Sept. 24. (CNS photo/Michael Reynolds, pool)

By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell
Publisher of The Texas Catholic

It has been said that “God writes straight with crooked lines.” It occurred to me this past week that one of God’s crooked lines was behind Fray Junipero Serra becoming the father of the California missions instead of a missionary in Texas. The story is told by Richard F. Pourade in his history of San Diego, Calif.

Fray Junipero was a Franciscan of the missionary Collegio de San Fernando de Mexico, one of the several Franciscan groups in New Spain whose members established and staffed the Texas missions. He was scheduled to be among those priests from San Fernando chosen to establish one of two missions to be built in the heart of the Apache territory in west Texas.

In 1757 the first Apache mission, Santa Cruz de San Saba, was established on the San Saba River in what is now Menard County. A peace treaty had been signed with the Apaches in 1749 and it was hoped that the missions would lead to their giving up their nomadic ways, but no Apaches appeared, except for two sick ones who were left at the mission to be cared for.

It quickly became apparent that the Apaches had no desire to give up their nomadic lifestyle. Three of the missionaries from another collegio became discouraged and left, but three remained. The lack of success caused the Collegio de San Fernando to cancel plans to establish a second mission on the San Saba.

In March 1758 the Santa Cruz de San Saba Mission was surrounded by 2000 hostile Indians of the Comanche, Wichita and Caddo tribes. Eventually they breeched the stockade, two of the missionaries and a number of others were killed but one missionary and one other person inside survived by barricading themselves in the church.

At San Fernando, hearing of the massacre at San Saba, Fray Junipero begged to be sent to replace the martyred priests, but the Spanish authorities refused permission. A few years later Fray Junipero was sent to Alta California, where he established nine missions from San Diego to San Francisco. He labored in California until 1784 when he died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo at Carmel, where he is buried beneath the sanctuary floor.

Last week Fray Junipero became St. Junipero Serra, when he was canonized by Pope Francis at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, in the first canonization to take place in the United States.

God indeed writes with crooked lines and he never closes one door without opening another.

  • Tags
  • Bishop Kevin J. Farrell
  • Pope Francis
  • St. Junipero Serra
  • The Texas Catholic
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article Truth, love must guide outreach to families, pope says
Previous article Everyone has a guardian angel in life, pope says

Related Posts

Father Esposito: Happiness as the blessed life Columnists
Friday, March 10, 2023

Father Esposito: Happiness as the blessed life

Father Dankasa: Two voices in one Columnists
Thursday, March 9, 2023

Father Dankasa: Two voices in one

Prayerfully using Lenten seeds for Easter growth Columnists
Friday, March 3, 2023

Prayerfully using Lenten seeds for Easter growth

Texas Catholic Classics

A look at the five Dallas law enforcement officers who gave their lives while protecting citizens during a mass shooting in downtown Dallas in July 2016.

 

How a child with special needs inspired a high school volleyball team, community and a family who heeded God’s call to protect life.

 

After a young runner collapsed at a Dallas marathon, grace and providence unfolded for those involved in the valiant effort to help her.

   

In the summer of 2016, 50 students and 25 chaperones from Dallas Catholic high schools traveled to Nicaragua for a 10-day mission trip.

 

Early on a November morning, Kenndrick Mendieta bounded from the gym at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep toward the campus’ athletic fields as clouds lifted on a fresh new day.

 

Subscribe

Get the award-winning Texas Catholic delivered to your door. Use the menu below to subscribe now.


Subscription length




 

Photo Gallery

Click here to find your favorite Texas Catholic photographs.

The Texas Catholic Newspaper

Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Michael Gresham, Editor

3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 379-2800

Our Affiliated Sites

Texas Catholic Youth

Revista Católica

Legal and Other

Contact us

Terms of service

Privacy policy

Site map

Site powered by TexasCatholicMedia

© 2013-2019 The Texas Catholic Publishing Company. All rights reserved.