Geoffrey Lopes da Silva || 18 October 2024
“The greatest event since the creation of the world (excluding the incarnation and death of Him who created it) is the discovery of the Indies.”
~ Francisco López de Gómara, Primera Parte de la Historia General de las Indias, vol. 22, p. 156
California Mission Rejects St Junípero Serra?
Did one of the California Missions recently reject its own founder, Saint Junípero Serra? One might think so, given the post shared on Monday, 14 October 2024, by Old Mission Santa Barbara on its Facebook page:
“Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize and celebrate all Native Peoples, their cultures, and their histories. It is our responsibility to also acknowledge that the overall impact of the Mission Era on Indigenous communities in California was devastating. As a Franciscan organization, in the spirit of reconciliation, we continue learning from the experiences of those affected by the Mission Era. We commit to recognizing our past and learning from it, while creating spaces to honor and amplify Native voices.”
It is inconceivable and disheartening that a Catholic parish known as the “Queen of the Missions” and one of the California missions founded by Fr Fermín de Lasuén, OFM—St Junípero Serra’s successor as Father-President of the Alta California Mission system—would post such a misrepresentation and disparagement on social media.
The post describes the “overall impact of the Mission Era on Indigenous communities in California” as “devastating.” This strong language is troubling, especially considering that the Mission Era was led by St Junípero Serra, who was beatified in 1988 by Pope St John Paul II and canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis. It raises the question: can we describe this period as purely “devastating” without acknowledging Serra’s efforts to both evangelize and defend the rights of Native communities?
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