I remember watching ETWN when the new pope was announced in 2013. As a Catholic priest myself, it mattered a great deal to me. When the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was announced as the new pope, I burst into tears of joy, knowing that a son of the Americas would be the new pope. When Pope Francis came to the US for an official papal visit, one of the key points of that visit was the canonization of Father Junipero Serra. Serra was one of my heroes: the founding Father of the California mission system and a missionary who overcame poor health and great hardship to bring the Gospel to the people of the Americas. Yet, he has often been vilified in the secular press. Nazi symbols and red paint symbolizing blood have been used to deface statues of him. Stanford University took his name off of buildings at that school, giving this reason: “the historical record indicates that the mission system Serra founded inflicted great harm and violence on Native Americans, and the committee report noted the continuing impact of this historical legacy on members of the campus Native American community today.” How Serra is portrayed by the secular world is so different from the stories I have heard about the great missionary who left a comfortable life teaching in a seminary in Europe to bring the Gospel to the people of the Americas. Father Serra is one of my favorite saints who has provided me inspiration as a missionary and as a priest.
I have read all three of Christian Clifford’s books and I very much appreciate his portrayal of St Junipero Serra and the development of the California missions. The Catholic priest who wrote the foreword to this book stated that Clifford wanted to write a book that was easy to read and informative, that would help the reader see both the holiness and humanity of Serra. Yes, Serra lived in the era of colonization and of the Spanish conquistadors, he lived in the time of the Spanish inquisition. But, Serra’s compassion, courage, and missionary work speak for themselves in the context of this era. I could see this book being read by students who would really benefit from learning about Serra and his journey of faith, of this wonderful saint who can accompany us on our own journey.
Clifford has hiked the California mission trail in California. He is really one of the trail blazers of that trail, as a spirit of pilgrimage has captured the imagination of so many in the modern world. I can testify to that, having hiked the pilgrimage trail of St James in Spain on five different occasions. Clifford’s faith and his admiration for Father Serra help bring a perspective that is missing from his portrayal in the secular media. Clifford talks about the historical method he used in researching Serra. He tried to understand the context in which Serra lived and served as a missionary. It is easy to try to judge the past by our own standards. It is harder to put it into historical context. I also really enjoyed the experts from Serra’s own letters and writings that Clifford included in his book, let Serra speak for himself.
I know that Clifford is working on a book on the California missions. I really look forward to that book. I had hoped to hike the California mission trail this past year, but the pandemic has postponed those plans. Reading Clifford’s books has inspired me to follow in his footsteps and to get to know Serra better through the missions he founded in California. St Junipero Serra is with us on our journey of faith, to help lead us and guide us on that journey.
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