Pilgrimage, April 5, 2018: Shrine of St. Junipero Serra, California

As of this writing, I am currently in California, where I attended a family reunion in Daly City near San Francisco.  Taking advantage of the long road trip route from Chula Vista to Daly, I made it a point to stop at the Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel-by-the-Sea, where the tomb-shrine and remains of St. Junipero Serra are located... and it was definitely one of the highlights of this trip thus far!  Before I share my impressions of the shrine, here's a bit about the life and works of this great Servant of God.

The facade of the Mission Church of

Carmel with some of the signs displayed nearby.  (Click on any of the photos in

this blog to see larger images)

For those not familiar with him, St. Junipero, he is acclaimed as the Apostle of California.  Born on the island of Majorca, Spain, on November 24, 1713, he began training for the priesthood at aged 15.  He was eventually accepted into the Franciscan Order and ordained sometime between 1737 and 1739.  The padre became a renowned preacher in Spain and also taught as a university professor.  In 1749 he bade farewell to his homeland for a tedious voyage to Mexico where he felt compelled to do missionary work.

St. Junipero worked in Mexico until 1769 when, being in his mid-50s, he began a difficult journey northward through what is now California State, where he systematically founded one mission after another - nine in all - as listed below:

• Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, July 1769 (now in present-day San Diego)
• Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, June 1770 (now in present-day Carmel-by-the-Sea)
• Mission San Antonio de Padua, July 1771
• Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, September 1771 (now in present-day San Gabriel)
• Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, September 1772 (now in present-day San Luis Obispo)
• Mission San Juan Capistrano, November 1776 (now in present-day San Juan Capistrano)
• Mission San Francisco de Asís, June 1776 (now in present-day San Francisco)
• Mission Santa Clara de Asís, January 1777 (now in present-day Santa Clara)
• Mission San Buenaventura, March 1782 (now in present-day Ventura)

Me, in the Mission courtyard.

By most accounts the Saint was a zealous missionary, eager to promote the Faith in the New World; a deeply penitential spirit; an effective preacher of God's Word (he baptized an estimated 6,000 Native American converts); and a protector of his indigenous flock from the exploitation and abuse of their Spanish conquerors.  Padre Serra died on August 28, 1784 at the age of 70 and was recognized a Saint by the Catholic Church on September 23, 2015.

Going back to Mission San Carlos Borromeo, I found the place enchanting.  First off, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a quaint and charming seaside city built on lush rolling hills overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean.  It's a lovely area that evokes a very cozy vibe due to the heavily wooded scenery and many small, stylized wooden homes that dot the area.  It kinda reminded me of a Hobbit town.

The Mission, itself, is situated in the middle of residential neighborhoods a bit farther away from the beach.  One could easily drive past the place if one wasn't aware of it, but we came to Carmel specifically to pay our respect to St. Junipero so we found it easily using GPS.

At the shrine, the restored mission church where the tomb of the Saint is found is definitely the center of the whole mission complex. One would enter through the Tourist Center/Gift Shop, pay a reasonable admission fee (necessary for the upkeep and maintenance of the shrine), then proceed to the garden courtyard in front of the church.  The place had a serene vibe about it that one always gets when in a place of prayer that's been especially sanctified by a holy person or divine event.  In this case, it was the favorite home and final resting place of an official Saint.

The main courtyard and surrounding grounds were spacious and there were large devotional statues located all about, as well as fountains and places to sit, reflect, and pray.  Looking towards the front of the church a small hut-looking structure was to the right of the courtyard where a short video of St. Junipero's life was continually played; a small museum was to the left where many relics and artifacts - mass vestments worn by St. Junipero, chalices, and other devotional items - from the early years of the mission were displayed.

Beautiful shrines and side-altars found in

the restored mission church.  During his

1987 visit to the USA, Pope St. John Paul II

prayed to the Madonna and Child at the

altar shown on the left. 

Inside the main church, I felt transported to old-time California by the rich southwest-style architecture/decor.  The sanctuary was breathtaking and, as one made his/her way towards it, small side chapels and altars on either side of the church revealed beautiful shrines to our Lord, Our Lady, and various hispanic-origin Saints such as Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Rose of Lima (d. 1617). One of these shrine-altars even enclosed a striking life-sized statue of Mary and Child in front of which St. Pope John Paul II offered prayer during his 1987 tour of the U.S..  It was all a feast for my eyes as well as my spirit!

Up at the sanctuary area, the tomb of St. Junipero could be seen to the front and left of the main altar.  A portrait of the Saint and a burning candle marked the hallowed spot and there was a long kneeler and a short gate in the front of it all that prevented direct access to the tomb.  To the right of the sanctuary was a very large wood and glass reliquary in which wooden planks from the original coffin of St. Junipero could be viewed. Next to this reliquary was a silver cruciform reliquary that encased a small bone-fragment taken from the Saint's body.

Views of the stunning church sanctuary

and the tomb of St. Junipero Serra located

at the foot of the main altar.

All in all, my impression of the shrine was highly positive.  The atmosphere was charged with holiness, which made it quite conducive to prayer and meditation.  I personally felt the presence of the divine in that sacred space and felt spiritually refreshed by the time we left Mission San Carlos Borromeo to continue on to Daly City.

Me, praying and meditating before

the tomb of St. Junipero Serra in the

Mission Church of Carmel.

As an added treat from the Lord and St. Junipero, I left the mission with a special 3rd Class Relic of the Saint.  On my way out, I struck up a friendly conversation with one of the gift shop workers as I purchased a small statue of the Saint as a souvenir.  When the worker learned that I came all the way from Hawaii to visit them, he unexpectedly offered to take the statue back into the church with me so he could lay it on the tomb of St. Junipero. Of course I took him up on his offer and was moved at seeing him reverently place the statue on the tomb, while we both prayed for several minutes.  I recognized the moment as both a signal grace and the icing on the cake during this mini-pilgrimage.  Thank you, Lord.

A large reliquary containing wooden

planks from the original coffin of St. Junipero,

and a silver crucifix to the left that encases

a small bone fragment from his body. 

If you're ever up in northern California, I highly recommend making a stop at the Shrine of St. Junipero Serra in Carmel-by-the-Sea - it's worth it.  Lots of fascinating history to see and lots of inspiration and blessings to be gained!

"Always forward, never back!"

~ St. Junipero Serra's motto