Junipero Serra Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Junipero Serra
OCCUPATION: Missionary
BIRTH DATE: c. November 24, 1713
DEATH DATE: c. August 28, 1784
PLACE OF BIRTH: Majorca, Spain
PLACE OF DEATH: Carmel, California

Best Known For

Spanish missionary Juniper Serra established his first U.S. mission in 1769. He built eight more California missions over the next thirteen years.

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Print Cite This

Junipero Serra

APA Style

Junipero Serra. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:39, May 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243.

Harvard Style

Junipero Serra. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243 [Accessed 18 May 2013].

MLA Style

"Junipero Serra." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 18 2013, 05:39 http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243.

MHRA Style

"Junipero Serra," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243 [accessed May 18, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Junipero Serra," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243 (accessed May 18, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

Junipero Serra [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 18] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243.

Bluebook Style

Junipero Serra, http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243 (last visited May 18, 2013).

AMA Style

Junipero Serra. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/junipero-serra-9479243. Accessed May 18, 2013.

Synopsis

Juniper Serra was born in 1713 in Majorca, Spain. After working as a missionary in Sierra Gorda and Mexico City, Serra was sent to California. Serra established his first mission, San Diego de Alcalá, in 1769. He built eight more missions over the next thirteen years. He is credited with helping the Spanish establish a presence in California. He died in 1784 at Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo, in Carmel, California.

Profile

Spanish missionary. Born in 1713 on the island of Majorca off the coast of Spain. He took the name Junípero when he joined the Franciscan order in 1730. He taught for more than a decade before going to Mexico in 1749.

After working as a missionary in Sierra Gorda and Mexico City, Serra was sent to California. He made the trip by foot despite having terrible sores on his legs. Once he reached California, Serra established his first mission, San Diego de Alcalá, in 1769. He built eight more missions over the next thirteen years: San Antonio de Padua; San Gabriel, Arcángel; San Luis, Obispo de Tolosa; San Juan Capistrano; San Francisco de Asis; and San Buenaventura. Serra worked tirelessly tirelessly to maintain the missions and is credited with helping the Spanish establish a presence in California.

Serra died in 1784 at Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo located in present-day Carmel, California. The site is now home to the National Shrine to Blessed Junípero Serra, and many visitors go there each year to honor the famous missionary.