With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Pope to canonize California missionary Junípero Serra
A statue at Old Mission Santa Barbara depicts Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra. On Thursday, January 15, 2014, Pope Francis announced that Serra would be canonized — making him the newest Catholic saint.
(
Wally Gobetz/Flickr Creative Commons
)
The newest Catholic saint will have strong ties to California.
Pope Francis on Thursday announced plans to canonize Junípero Serra, a Franciscan who established many of the state's Spanish missions.
According to the Associated Press, Serra is credited with bringing Christianity to the United States' West and founded nine of the 21 Spanish missions in California.
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez on Thursday said he was "very happy" over the news and called it a "gift to California and the Americas."
Support for LAist comes from
"It's wonderful to think that this new saint once walked the road that is now the Hollywood Freeway and called it El Camino Real, 'The King's Highway,'" Gomez said in a written statement.
Gomez referred to Serra as one of his "spiritual heroes and a giant figure in the evangelization of the New World."
But there are many Native Americans who might not see Serra as a holy man.
Serra is vilified by many for his apparent disdain of Native Americans and their culture, KQED reports.
"There are many native people who believe that he was a cultural imperialist who brought all kinds of despair to native California," UC Riverside historian Steven Hackel, author of "Junípero Serra: California’s Founding Father," told KQED.
Many Native Americans ultimately came to embrace Catholicism, however, and missionary baptismal records are now viewed as the go-to source for genealogical research on California's native population, according to KQED.
Pope Francis is expected to canonize Serra when he visits the United States in September, according to AP.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Heavy rain from the early-season storm could trigger debris flows. Snow is also possible above 7,000 feet. -
Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership announces that 11% of the workforce is being cut. -
The rock legend joins LAist for a lookback on his career — and the next chapter of his music. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care.
Best of LAist