Saint Junipero Serra

Saint Junipero Serra: Feast Day July 1st

Happy Feast Day, Saint Junipero Serra! In 2014, when my husband and I were dating, we were blessed with the opportunity to visit the Basilica in Carmel, California that Saint Junipero founded and where he is buried. Below are some photos I took from our 2014 trip as well as the front of the visitor’s brochure that I kept. Seeing one of the missions that Saint Junipero founded, and where Pope Saint John Paul II also visited, was an amazing experience! Gazing upon the heritage of the Catholic faith in the United States, the beautiful architecture, and experiencing the serenity of the basilica's surroundings, was surreal! 

It saddens me, however, that Saint Junipero Serra, who was canonized a saint in 2015 by Pope Francis, is sometimes viewed negativity. During his life, Saint Junipero treated the Native peoples in the missions with a care and dignity that others often did not exhibit towards Native peoples at the time. He learned their language and defended their rights against non-native settlers. Yes, he believed in and utilized corporal punishment, since he viewed himself as a father to the native peoples he loved (Saint Junipero Serra, USCCB), but we cannot judge the past based upon a contemporary context. We must consider the past and all it’s people and events in the context of that particular time period of history. No one is perfect. Yet God takes us in our imperfections and sins and transforms us into his saints. In every time period that they have lived, the people the Church recognizes as saints have sought to grow in holiness and make the world and time in which they lived grow closer to God. All of us are called to be saints, and we all do the best that we can to become the saints that God seeks to make of us. The Church does not canonize evil people. It canonizes sinners, for we are all sinners, who love the Lord and try to do the best they can in the circumstances and times in which they live.  In the words of Saint Junipero Serra, "Siempre adelante!" Keep moving forward!   

Bibliography:

St. Junípero Serra. Carmel Mission. (2021, July 27). https://carmelmission.org/visit/st-junipero-serra/#:~:text=Father%20Serra%20had%20a%20motto,growing%20numb%2C%20from%20being%20anesthetized.

Saint Junipero Serra. USCCB. (n.d.). https://www.usccb.org/offices/general-secretariat/saint-junipero-serra

Celebrating with Food: 

Today, celebrate Saint Junipero Serra, missionary to California, with a multicultural meal. Make Spanish-inspired Paprika seasoned chicken with roasted sweet potatoes (native to the Americas) and broccoli. And since Saint Junipero Serra was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca,  serve Ensaimada—a Mallocran spiral sweet-bread with Arab influences for dessert. Here is my Spanish-inspired Paprika Chicken Recipe (I just dabbled with ingredients I had on hand):

 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken breasts 
• 3 large sweet potatoes 
• 2 broccoli crowns 
• 3 garlic cloves or jarred minced garlic 
• Paprika
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Olive oil 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Line a sheet pan pan with aluminum foil 
• Peel and slice sweet potatoes in circles, then quarter the circles 
• Cut broccoli crowns into florets 
• Place broccoli and sweet potatoes in a large boil and drizzle with olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons). Then season with garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
• Place chicken breasts in the center of the sheet pan and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on them. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. 
• Pour vegetables around the chicken.
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

                                       

Here is the recipe for "Mallorca Ensaimadas" I used from the website “The Spruce Eats.” The modifications I made are as follows: I used about two-three table spoons of softened butter instead of vegetable shortening, and I did not let my dough rise over night.

Celebrating with a Craft/Activity: 

Today, you and your children can practice some cartography skills. Help your kids plot the various Spanish Missions that were founded by Saint Junipero Serra in California, and those that were founded with Saint Junipero Serra present. You can even have your children plot geographic landforms like mountains and rivers too! Here are a variety of printable maps of California from the website "Coloring Home," and a list of missions started by Saint Junipero Serra from the "Carmel Mission Basilica" website.  Here also is a map, from the California Missions Foundation, showing the locations of California's 21 missions you can use as a reference. 

 Saint Junipero Serra, patron of vocations, pray for us!