St. Junipero Serra

St. Junípero Serra was a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded the first nine of the 21 Spanish missions in California. Born on November 24, 1713, in Majorca, Spain, he joined the Franciscan order in 1730 and later traveled to Mexico and then California to establish missions and convert the indigenous populations to Catholicism. He is venerated for his tireless efforts in spreading the faith and his compassion towards the Native Americans. Junípero Serra is the patron saint of California and the missions.