Faith Of Our Fathers

In January of this year, Pope Francis publicly expressed his intention to canonize the 18th century Franciscan missionary priest, and founding father of the California Missions, Blessed Junípero Serra during his visit to the United States.  

I was surprised and moved by this gesture, because it holds great meaning and historical significance for both the Church, and America.  It's providential timing for me personally, because I have a constant need for witnesses like Serra who express such wonderful generosity and courage in their life of faith.  I want to live like him, ready to leave everything for Christ in order to follow Him, and proclaim Him to those who have never encountered his Presence.

The gesture to canonize Serra intensified my sense of wonder about his personality, and generated a desire in me to study his biography and acquaint myself with the traces of his life's work—the California missions.  

The California missions were communities of indigenous people (Indians) established by Franciscan missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries, at the end of Spain’s period of imperial expansion.  Between the 1769 and 1823, the Franciscans organized 21 missions along the California coast.  The mission chain was initiated by Father Serra, who personally oversaw the foundation of the first nine missions.  The missions were in operation until the early 1830s, when the Mexican government disbanded them and distributed their lands to private owners.  Many of the mission buildings fell into disuse for years, but were eventually restored.  Today, the California missions function as Catholic parishes, or in some cases state historic parks. They are visited by millions of people from around the world and stand as a monument to a key period in the history of the Americas.

In May, I decided to take a vacation to visit the California missions, beginning on the day Pope Francis canonized him in Washington D.C. at the National Basilica.  I have several reasons for doing this, but I'd like to share the primary ones.  First, since vacation for me isn't an escape or break from life, I decided to make a pilgrimage in order to see life as one.  Second, I'm fascinated by Serra's life, so I hope to become even more familiar with it by tracing part of his path, and experiencing firsthand, the very places he gave his life to build. Third, I hope to share my experience with my family and friends here in the Diocese of Evansville, so we can share in the same spirit that inspired the faith of our fathers, and be helped to become more aware of our vocation as missionary disciples.

I will be accompanied by my dad, so I ask that you pray for us, and know I will be praying for all of you when I visit the missions.  Check The Message Twitter feed for pictures, and I look forward to sharing a reflection on my pilgrimage in a couple weeks!