CV NEWS FEED // A bronze statue of an 18th century Fransiscan saint and Father of California is set to be moved from its current location at Buenaventura City Hall to Mission Basilica San Buenaventura later this month.
St Junípero Serra was a Roman Catholic priest and Fransiscan friar who was recently canonized by Pope Francis in September 2015 during his visit to the United States.The short ceremony of canonization took place at the rotunda of Congress in Washington DC, where the statue of Fr. Juniper is one of the two representing the state of California.
Serra founded nine Spanish missions in Alta California, including Mission San Buenaventura, which was established on Easter Sunday 1782.The network of missions he created during his life, from the city of San Diego to the most Northern California missions, set the basis for what is today the wealthiest state of the Union.
But the movement sparked around Black Lives Matter created a sudden, intense historical revisionism, transforming the Franciscan saint from the hero and founder he was, into the ultimate symbol of the “oppressive West” against native populations in the US.
Work to remove the base of the St Junipero Serra statue began this week after the Ventura City Council voted to remove and relocate it in July 2020.
“We welcome back home the bronze image of St. Junipero Serra. On the ancestral land of the Chumash, Junipero Serra sought to be a spiritual father to the indigenous people in Alta California. He defended their dignity and rights before the Spanish magistrate,” said Fr. Tom Elewaut, pastor of the Mission Basilica in an online parish announcement.
He continued:
It is fitting that his image will continue to invoke peaceful and open dialogue regarding the history of the indigenous people, the Mission era and Spanish conquest, the Mexican occupation, the Gold Rush, and finally California statehood in the United States of America, all of which have impacted and influenced the history of this land.
Father Tumamait worked together with Former Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere and former Chair Julie Tumamait of the Barbareño Ventureño Band of Missions Indians (Chumash) to complete the statue’s relocation away from the visible, public space.
“The priority was to be receptive to community concerns and provide an inclusive environment where all community voices could be heard and respected with the goal of honoring the cultural heritage of Ventura and its earliest residents,” the release stated.
