Fr. Serra "In His Steps Prayer"

Our Mission Statement is…

to foster and affirm vocations to the priesthood and vowed religious life in the Diocese of El Paso through this ministry and affirm our members' common Catholic faith.

Junípero Serra was born Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrerin Petra, Majorca an island in the kingdom of Spain on November 24^th, 1713. [1][5] As a sixteen year old young man he entered the service of the Catholic Church and shortly thereafter the Order of St. Francis de Assisi where he acquired the name Junipero in honor of St. Juniper [2][3] beloved original companion friar of St. Francis. [4]

He excelled in his studies and was appointed lector of philosophy prior to his ordination to the priesthood. Fr. Serra was conferred a doctorate of theology and joined the College of San Fernando de Mexico in 1749 and departed for the New World later that year. [6] He crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the company of several Franciscan Monks several of whom came with him to California including his dedicated disciple and life long companion Palou. [9]

Fr. Serra landed in Vera Cruz and walked to Mexico City to dedicate his mission vocation at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.[7] He refused to ride the mule provided him and was bitten by an insect the subsequent and lingering health concern affected him the rest of his life. [8] His first assignment was in Sierra Gorda in Mexico [10] where he spent nine years and learned and translated catechism into the language of the Pame Indians. He was recalled to Mexico City and became famous for his fervent and effective mission preaching. [11][12]

In 1768 Fr. Serra was appointed the Superior of fifteen Franciscans for the Indian Missions of Baja California after King Carlos III ordered the Jesuits expelled from “New Spain”. Fr. Serra moved to Monterey in 1770 and relocated the mission to Carmel in 1771. In 1773 a disagreement by and between Fr. Serra and Pedro Fagos the Military Commander compelled Fr. Serra to walk to Mexico City to request that Viceroy Antonio Maria de Bucareli Ursua remove Pedro Fagos as Governor of California Nueva. In 1774 Bucareli ruled in favor of Fr. Serra on thirty of thirty two article/charges and ordered the removal of the Governor after which Fr. Serra returned by walking back to California. [13]

“Fr. Serra introduced agriculture, irrigation techniques and the Spanish language; battled governors, bureaucrats and military commanders to secure a system of laws to protect the California Indians from the injustices inflicted by Spanish soldiers.” [14]

During the American Revolutionary War Fr. Serra collected roughly one hundred and thirty seven dollars and sent that money to General George Washington.

Fr. Junipero Serra founded California’s first mission in 1769 during the Sacred Expedition, planted the cross on Presidio Hill in San Diego and dedicated the mission in Alta California at the age of 56. He an asthmatic with a chronic sore on his leg, afflicted by other frequent illnesses and stood all of five feet two inches tall. By the age of 70 he had traveled 24,000 miles.

“When Father Serra died in 1784 he had established nine California missions and baptized 6,000 Indians, about 10 percent of the California Native American population. Those nine missions grew to 21. Today, more than 60 percent of the state's nearly 37 [19] million people live in areas surrounding the missions, and El Camino Real, the road that Father Serra traveled on a tour of the missions shortly before this death, established a major artery running much of the length of the state. August 28th is the anniversary of the death of Father Serra, and is set aside in special remembrance of his many contributions to the Catholic Church in America.” Fr. Serra is buried under the Sanctuary Floor at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel, California. [15][16][17][18]

“Serra, and his biographer, did not receive the Protestant doctrine, that there have been no miracles since the Apostolic age. They imagined that the power possessed by the chief disciples of Jesus had been inherited by the Catholic priests of their time, and they saw wonders where their contemporary clergymen, like Conyers, Middleton, and Priestly, saw nothing save natural mistakes. Palou records the following story, with unquestioning faith:

“When he [Serra] was traveling with a party of missionaries through the province of Huasteca [in Mexico], many of the villagers did not go to hear the word of God at the first village where they stopped; but scarcely had the fathers left the place when it was visited by an epidemic, which carried away sixty villagers, all of whom, as the curate of the place wrote to the reverend father Junípero, were persons who had not gone to hear the missionaries. The rumor of the epidemic having gone abroad, the people in other villages were dissatisfied with their curates for admitting the missionaries; but when they heard that only those died who did not listen to the sermons, they became very punctual, not only the villagers, but the country people dwelling upon ranchos many leagues distant.

“Their apostolic labors having been finished, they were upon their way back, and at the end of a few days’ journey, when the sun was about to set, they knew not where to spend the night, and considered it certain that they must sleep upon the plain. They were thinking about this when they saw near the road a house, whither they went and solicited lodging. They found a venerable man, with his wife and child, who received them with much kindness and attention, and gave them supper. In the morning, the Fathers thanked their hosts, and taking leave, pursued their way. After having gone a little distance they met some muleteers, who asked them where they had passed the night. When the place was described, the muleteers declared that there was no such house or ranche near the road, or within many leagues. The missionaries attributed to Divine Providence the favor of that hospitality, and believed without doubt that these hosts were Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, reflecting not only about the order and cleanness of the house (though poor), and the affectionate kindness with which they had been received, but also about the extraordinary internal consolation which their hearts had felt there.” [20]

“Serra’s religious conviction found in him a congenial mental constitution. He was even- tempered, temperate, obedient, zealous, kindly in speech, humble and quiet. His cowl covered neither greed, guile, hypocrisy, nor pride. he had no quarrels and made no enemies. He sought to be a monk, and he was one in sincerity. Probably few have approached nearer to the ideal perfection of a monkish life than he.” [21]

“Father Serra's missions were established along El Camino Real, which linked his Church-centered communities up and down the California coastline. By linking clubs throughout the world, Serra International strives to carry out its own mission: to foster and promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life and to further Catholicism by encouraging its members, in fellowship, through education, to fulfill their vocations to service.

Let Father Serra inspire us to nurture vocations and become missionaries ourselves as we work for vocations. [22]

In His Steps Prayer

"Walk with Blessed Junipero Serra as he traces our Lord's footsteps in search of workers for the vineyard."

Holy Spirit, you are the love and light of the world. Continue to give all Serrans the courage and generosity to respond ardently to your call.

With one voice now, all Serrans say, "Here I am Lord." Fire each of us with a renewed spirit and enthusiasm to work for vocations for our Church.

Deepen our commitment to the Serran mission that we may, indeed, walk "in his steps" on our journey.

Father, we ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord, through the intercession of Blessed Junipero Serra and Mary, the Mother of the Church and religious vocations.

Amen

[23]

[1][2][6][8][11][12][13][16] Fr. Serra Wikipedia

[3][4][7][17] Fr. Serra: Serra Club of Bethlehem Pennsylvania

[5][9][20][21] Fr. Serra www.sfmuseum.org Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco

[10][14][15][18] Fr. Serra www.serroc.org Serra Clubs of Orange County, California District 127 Region 11

[22][23] www.Serraus.org

[19] U.S. Census Bureau

Membership Registration

MEMBERSHIP

IMPORTANT LINKS FOR SERRA CLUB EDUCATION

The Vatican: www.vatican.va

Serra International: www.serra.org

Serra USA: www.serraus.org

Diocese of El Paso: www.elpasodiocese.org

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Vocation Office, Diocese of El Paso: to be determined

St. Charles Borromeo Seminary: to be determined

Twitter@serraclubelp

The Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, established in 1914, includes 10 counties (El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Culberson, Brewster, Ward, Winkler, Loving, Reeves, Presidio). in far West Texas covering 26,686 square miles. The Catholic population served by the Diocese is 656,035 (of 811,739). The Diocese is made up of 55 parishes, 22 missions, and 17 ministries. The ministries serve the unique multicultural, multilingual needs of the diocese and community.