Junípero Serra

Saint Junípero Serra was born on November 24, 1713, in the village of Petra on the island of Mallorca, Spain. Baptized Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrer, he grew up close to the local Franciscan friary, where prayer, learning, and sacred song awakened in him a deep love for God. As a teenager he entered the Franciscan Order and took the name Junípero, embracing a life of poverty and humble service. Ordained a priest in 1737, he became a respected teacher of philosophy and earned a doctorate in theology, yet his heart longed not for honors but for mission. In 1749 he sailed for New Spain, choosing to walk from Veracruz to Mexico City in a spirit of Franciscan simplicity—a journey that left him with a painful leg wound he carried for the rest of his life. He later helped establish missions in the Sierra Gorda, founded a mission in Baja California, and went on to found eight missions in Alta California, earning the title “Apostle of California.” He was canonized in 2015 and is honored as patron of Petra. His feast day is July 1.