A book to honor Fray Junípero Serra as he enters Sainthood in 2015.Celebrating the significant places Serra delivered his message to in each of the three major phases of his life -- Mallorca, Mexico, and Alta California.101 plates from original large-format film negatives made by Craig Alan Huber, represented in the aesthetic of a platinum / palladium print.Accompanying text by known Serra biographer Robert M. Senkewicz provides a brief history of Serra's major life experiences, from his youth in Mallorca to his final days in Alta California.Handsome cloth-bound hardback with dust cover, offset printed in beautiful duotone on fine-art paper.Limited first edition run.Limited special edition of 75 signed copies including an original platinum / palladium photographic print numbered and signed by the artist, housed in a custom case. Choice of three different prints.

The narrative of the remarkable life of Junipero Serra, the intrepid priest who led Spain and the Catholic Church into California in the 1700s and became a key figure in the making of the American West. In the year 1749, at the age of thirty-six, Junipero Serra left his position as a highly regarded priest in Spain for the turbulent and dangerous New World, knowing he would never return. The Spanish Crown and the Catholic Church both sought expansion in Mexico--the former in search of gold, the latter seeking souls--as well as entry into the mysterious land to the north called "California." By his death at age seventy-one, Serra had traveled more than 14,000 miles on land and sea through the New World--much of that distance on a chronically infected and painful foot--baptized and confirmed 6,000 Indians, and founded nine of California's twenty-one missions, with his followers establishing the rest.

Travelers following Saint Junipero Serra's Camino Real in California with a pilgrim's heart--and this book in hand--will make their way to 21 missions established in the 1700s, stretching from San Diego to Sonoma north of San Francisco Bay. For each mission, this guide provides the street address, the mission's website, a brief history of the place, the story of the mission's patron or namesake, and information about the mission bells. A true pilgrimage, the experience of following Saint Serra's Camino can be a transformative and enriching one.

"Praying with St. Junipero Serra: A Novena for the Evangelization of Souls" invites you on a transformative journey of prayer and reflection, drawing inspiration from the life and mission of the great missionary saint, Junipero Serra.In this powerful novena guide, you will embark on a nine-day spiritual pilgrimage, guided by the wisdom and intercession of St. Junipero Serra, as you explore the themes central to his life and legacy. Each day offers a unique reflection and corresponding prayers, designed to deepen your understanding of St. Junipero Serra's missionary spirit and to foster your own commitment to the evangelization of souls. Through heartfelt reflections, you will gain insights into St. Junipero Serra's unwavering faith, sacrificial love, compassion for the native peoples, dedication to establishing missions, and his zeal for sharing the Gospel. You will be encouraged to examine your own spiritual journey, drawing parallels between St. Junipero Serra's experiences and your own desires to bring the light of Christ to others. Within these pages, you will find prayers that uplift your intentions and invoke God's blessings on your evangelization efforts. You will seek the courage to share the good news, ask for guidance in spreading the Gospel, offer sacrifices for the conversion of souls, and seek compassion and mercy for all. Each prayer is a heartfelt plea for the intercession of St. Junipero Serra, inviting you to join in his mission of reaching souls for Christ. "Praying with St. Junipero Serra: A Novena for the Evangelization of Souls" is a profound resource for individuals, prayer groups, and communities seeking to deepen their prayer life, grow in their commitment to evangelization, and draw closer to the heart of God. It serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of St. Junipero Serra and his call to continue the work of bringing souls to Christ. Allow the prayers and reflections in this novena to guide you on a transformative spiritual journey, igniting a renewed passion for evangelization and leading you to encounter the transformative power of God's grace. Open your heart, immerse yourself in the spirit of St. Junipero Serra, and join the mission of bringing the love and salvation of Christ to all. START YOUR NOVENA PRAYER WITH ST. JUNIPERO TODAY!

A portrait of the priest and colonialist who is one of the most important figures in California's history In the 1770s, just as Britain's American subjects were freeing themselves from the burdens of colonial rule, Spaniards moved up the California coast to build frontier outposts of empire and church. At the head of this effort was Junípero Serra, an ambitious Franciscan who hoped to convert California Indians to Catholicism and turn them into European-style farmers. For his efforts, he has been beatified by the Catholic Church and widely celebrated as the man who laid the foundation for modern California. But his legacy is divisive. The missions Serra founded would devastate California's Native American population, and much more than his counterparts in colonial America, he remains a contentious and contested figure to this day. Steven W. Hackel's groundbreaking biography, Junípero Serra: California's Founding Father, is the first to remove Serra from the realm of polemic and place him within the currents of history. Born into a poor family on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Serra joined the Franciscan order and rose to prominence as a priest and professor through his feats of devotion and powers of intellect. But he could imagine no greater service to God than converting Indians, and in 1749 he set off for the new world. In Mexico, Serra first worked as a missionary to Indians and as an uncompromising agent of the Inquisition. He then became an itinerant preacher, gaining a reputation as a mesmerizing orator who could inspire, enthrall, and terrify his audiences at will. With a potent blend of Franciscan piety and worldly cunning, he outmaneuvered Spanish royal officials, rival religious orders, and avaricious settlers to establish himself as a peerless frontier administrator. In the culminating years of his life, he extended Spanish dominion north, founding and promoting missions in present-day San Diego, Los Angeles, Monterey, and San Francisco. But even Serra could not overcome the forces massing against him. California's military leaders rarely shared his zeal, Indians often opposed his efforts, and ultimately the missions proved to be cauldrons of disease and discontent. Serra, in his hope to save souls, unwittingly helped bring about the massive decline of California's indigenous population. On the three-hundredth anniversary of Junípero Serra's birth, Hackel's complex, authoritative biography tells the full story of a man whose life and legacies continue to be both celebrated and denounced. Based on exhaustive research and a vivid narrative, this is an essential portrait of America's least understood founder.

In Junípero Serra: California, Indians, and the Transformation of a Missionary, Beebe and Senkewicz focus on Serra’s religious identity and his relations with Native peoples. They intersperse their narrative with new and accessible translations of many of Serra’s letters and sermons, which allows his voice to be heard in a more direct and engaging fashion.

NOVENA TO SAINT JUNIPERO SERRA Meet Saint Junipero Serra, a man of great faith and purpose who played a significant role in California's mission history. This book takes you on a journey through his life and spiritual path, offering a unique nine-day prayer experience called a novena. By reading this book, you'll get to know Saint Junipero Serra's story, his letters, and the traditions of Catholic novenas. It's an invitation to spend nine days reflecting on his life, reading relevant Bible passages, and praying to deepen your relationship with God. Each day focuses on a different aspect of Saint Junipero's life, helping you find inspiration, guidance, and support. Whether you're already familiar with his story or just discovering it, this book promises to inspire and transform you. Join this journey of faith, history, and spiritual growth, and let Saint Junipero Serra guide you closer to God.

As one of America’s most important missionaries, Junípero Serra is widely recognized as the founding father of California’s missions. It was for that work that he was canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis. Less well known, however, is the degree to which Junípero Serra embodied the social, religious and artistic currents that shaped Spain and Mexico across the 18th century. Further, Serra’s reception in American culture in the 19th and 20th centuries has often been obscured by the controversies surrounding his treatment of California’s Indians. This volume situates Serra in the larger Spanish and Mexican contexts within which he lived, learned, and came of age. Offering a rare glimpse into Serra’s life, these essays capture the full complexity of cultural trends and developments that paved the way for this powerful missionary to become not only California’s most polarizing historical figure but also North America’s first Spanish colonial saint.