6th Grade Culture Project

Father Junípero Serra:  Missionary 1713-1784)  Father Junípero Serra was born in 1713 on the island of Mallorca.  Junípero joined the Franciscan order.  He studied hard and became a priest, a professor of philosophy, and a pulpit orator/preacher.  Then Junípero wanted to become a missionary.  He left Spain for Mexico City in 1750.  Junípero worked with the Pamé Indians in eastern Mexico for nine years.  He tried to convert them to Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism.  Junípero traveled further north with a Spanish military unit to minister among more Indians.  Captain Gaspar de Portol helped him build a Spanish mission in present-day San Diego, California.  Eventually 21 missions were founded along the California coast.  The missions were built from adobe brick or cut stone.  Nine of the missions were established by Franciscan priests.  These missionaries reported around 6,000 Indian converts.  Junípero never returned to Spain.  He died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo near the present-day city of Monterey, California in 1784.

Marsh, Carole, The Best Book of Hispanic Biographies.,Galopade Interational:  2003

Helpful Sites:

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/bio/serra/serra.htm

 http://www.sfmuseum.net/bio/jserra.html