The History of Father Junipero Serra Bl. Junipero Serra: Return to Capital

Apr 16, 2015

Editor's note: This is part 17 in a series on the life of Bl. Junipero Serra in anticipation of his canonization. To read other articles in the series, click here.

ON August 24, 1772, the first anniversary of the planting of the Cross in the Carmel Valley, Fray Junípero Serra, Pedro Fages and several others left Monterey for San Diego. It was to be Serra's first overland trip along California's El Camino Real. On this trip he came to know the complete coast of California from Monterey south and made mental notes that helped him fashion his chain or ladder of missions. Much of what Serra saw on the trip determined his future course of action.

At San Antonio, Serra found a small Christian community of about a dozen Indians. The Presidente was encouraged and realized that as soon as the food situation became better and the undesirable soldiers were removed, San Antonio would become a model outpost. The party moved on south and on September 1st, on the slope of a hill within the shadow of San Luis Obispo Peak, Serra raised the cross of California's fifth mission. Fray Jose Cavaller was left behind as resident missionary.

Circumstances dictated leaving only a handful of guards at San Luis Obispo and Serra noted later that it would have been a foolhardy venture had it been for any reason other than the sheer love to convert the Indians. Fortunately, as he said, God "did not abandon the agents of so holy an enterprise."

On September 11th, the party arrived at San Gabriel, and Serra was able to personally see the mission for the first time. He was delighted with the place and the progress that had been made. Though he remained only two days, Serra declared that it was "without doubt the most excellent mission site so far discovered. Once it is sufficiently developed, it will be able, doubtless, to sustain not only itself, but all the rest." By the time of his arrival at San Diego, the Presidente had seen nearly five hundred miles of new territory. He now had a better perspective and a fuller knowledge of his extensive mission field.

Ever so gradually, the relationship between Governor Pedro Fages and Fray Junípero Serra began deteriorating. Lines of authority were not well drawn and even more poorly interpreted. Serra found himself at the crossroads of the mission enterprise. The vexations, delays, bickerings, misunderstandings and restrictions of the past two years had come to a peak in San Diego. The major question then was - would he go ahead, stand still or retreat?

On October 13th, the Presidente met with the missionaries at San Diego and stated his opinion that one of them should go to Mexico in person to see the Viceroy and lay the whole matter of mission administration before him. The friars agreed and decided that Serra was the person to go unless his age and infirmities prevented him from doing so.

Inasmuch as the San Carlos was then in the harbor, the Presidente decided to leave on the ship when it left for San BIas. As his companion for the long journey, Serra chose Juan Evangelista, an Indian he had baptized a few years earlier. On October 20th, the return to Mexico began under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, "the sovereign Queen of Angels and the Mother of Navigators." It was the beginning of a journey that would alter the course of California's history.

As Serra sailed southward along the coast, he reviewed his time in Alta California. Five missions had been founded, even though some of them were still in a precarious state. The Presidente felt that unless the laws were enforced and a change in personalities was made, the greatly desired mission progress would never be attained.