The History of Father Junipero Serra Bl. Junipero Serra: Across the Sea

Mar 5, 2015

Editor's note: This is part 5 a series on the life of Bl. Junipero Serra in anticipation of his canonization. To read other articles in the series, click here.

THE ship Villasota, also known as Nuestro Señora de Guadalupe, departed from Cadiz at the end of August, 1749. Aboard was Fray Junípero Serra and nineteen other Franciscans bound for the missions.
After a fairly peaceful journey at sea, the ship arrived at San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the feast of Saint Luke. Serra's first hours in the New World were spent at the hermitage of the Immaculate Conception, near the walls of the city.

Puerto Rico was not to be a vacation land for the friars. He and the others were full of zeal and their first hours on American soil demonstrated their selfless industry. The friars utilized their time by conducting a mission for the islanders. It proved to be the first outlet for Serra's apostolic work in America. The cathedral was jammed to capacity. It had been nine years since a similar religious service had been held in San Juan and the local populace anxiously responded to the opportunity of renewing their spiritual lives.

The Villasota left San Juan on November 1st. For another month the ship sailed through the islands and reefs of the Caribbean. There were many hardships during that sojurn, the worst of which was the critical shortage of drinking water. Serra is recorded as having noted to a companion that "the best way of saving one's saliva is to eat little and talk still less."

His biographer notes that during the long voyage Serra "was always even tempered and smiling, that he never uttered the slightest complaint, that his patience was the wonder and admiration of everyone." Anchor was cast in the historic harbor of Vera Cruz, where Mexican history began, on December 6th.

On the following day, Serra stepped on the continental soil of North America for the first time at "the most desired end of a long and tedious voyage." From that American counterpart of the Spanish Cadiz, Serra and his companions would spread across the great viceroyalty of New Spain.

A thanksgiving celebration took place and Fray Junípero was chosen to preach at the Solemn High Mass. With his good memory for detail, he recalled the full details of their ninety-nine day voyage and the petitions to Santa Barbara for a successful arrival. During his short homily, Serra spiritualized the entire voyage with the protecting mantle of God's providence. Again his native talent and eloquence were revealed, although time and oblivion deny us the privilege of catching something of his feeling and fire. Today, the little chapel of Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje (the Holy Christ of the Safe Voyage) remains as a reminder of the days when travel was perilous and uncertain and prayer was a part of everyone's itinerary.

At Vera Cruz, men of war and men of peace, soldiers of the king and soldiers of the cross, started out on their missions of force or persuasion. There began El Camino Real of the New World. There Fray Junípero Serra started out on the trail that would culminate in Alta California.