Saint Junipero Serra

Catholic icon of Saint Junipero Serra on thick plywood 20mm, which does not sting and keeps its shape over time. Preparation with acrylic stucco and have been used acrylic colors. It has been covered with varnish to keep the colors undiluted in time and humidity. Hanging clip included on the back of the icon.

St. Junipero was born in 1713 in Petra, Majorca, Spain. He was accepted into a Franciscan order in 1730 after first being denied. A gifted scholar and orator, he taught for some years in Spain until hearing a call to become a missionary. In 1749 while walking to the Mexico City college where he was to teach, Father Serra received an insect bite that caused him pain the rest of his life. In Mexico, he ministered to Indians and founded a mission before traveling to San Diego, California, in 1769. Though sometimes at odds with soldiers and government leaders, during the 1770s Father Serra led the Franciscans in founding nine California missions where they taught Native Americans. He died of tuberculosis in 1784 at Monterey, California, having traveled thousands of miles on foot to minister to California Indians. His feast day is on July 1.