Where is San Junípero Serra? Mysterious disappearance on California highway, United States

For almost 50 years, a statue of almost 8 meters from the Franciscan missionary San Junípero Serra was erected next to the interstate 280, the highway of almost 92 kilometers that connects San Francisco and San José.

Not anymore. And the reasons for their withdrawal are still confusing.

The local media kept silent. As the statue was behind a closed door and the cars passed 120 kilometers per hour, few realized when Caltrans crews removed the imposing structure. Just in September, people began to talk about the issue, after a public networks of September 11 went viral.

A representative of the California Department of Transportation confirmed to the National Catholic Register on October 1 that the statue – located near Hillsborough in the Dale M. Krings commemorative rest area, which bears the name of an officer of the Callifornia Way Patrol killed – was removed in August.

San Junípero was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 for his missionary testimony in Mexico and California. Nine missions were founded during his term as president of the Missions of California.

According to CEQANET, the state database for documents of the Environmental Quality Law of California, to the environmental scientist of Caltrans Nina Hofmarcher was granted permission for a “Minor statue removal B”On March 21.

Jeneane Crawford, head of Public Information of District 4 of Caltrans, told the Register: “Caltrans withdrew the statue … because the installation did not meet the current requirements of the transport art program and had been a frequent target of graffiti and vandalism.”

“The statue was evaluated to determine its eligibility … and it was determined that it was not eligible. It was interviewed members of the artist’s family for the historical resources evaluation report, the decision to withdraw the statue was notified and they were given the opportunity to finance their withdrawal and preservation,” he said. “Ohlone local tribes were consulted, which have ancestral links with the Earth in San Mateo County. In addition, Caltrans requested contributions from multiple historical, artistic and religious organizations.”

The highway itself – called Junípero Serra Highway – connects San Francisco and San José, both cities whose names have roots in the history of Spanish California. Also close, Serra’s legacy is remembered: in 1776, his Francisco partner Fr. Francisco Palóu consecrated the San Francisco de Asís mission. The interstate 280 also crosses Santa Clara, where in 1777 Serra himself founded the Santa Clara de Asís mission.

The concrete and steel sculpture was created by Louis Dubois, from San Carlos, California, and dedicated itself on June 28, 1976, days before the United States Bicentennial. According to San Mateo Times, Dubois made the work on his own and dedicated it to the people of California: privately financed art in public land. It was included in a 2023 video of the Knights of Colón, Walking in the Footsteps of St. Junípero Serra (Following the steps of San Junípero Serra).

After the canonization of Serra and especially during the 2020 summer disturbances, its statues were vandalized throughout California – including those of the Carmel mission, the former Santa Barbara mission, the San Gabriel mission, the San Rafael mission and the San José mission. Only one arrestafter the attack in San Rafael. On 2020 indigenous peoples’ day, the statue of the I-280 was also vandalized.

That summer, a group of 40 to 50 local Catholics responded with a “vigil in the statue of San Junípero Serra”, gathering and praying in the statue of the I-280 from July 1 to 9. The Archbishop of San Francisco, Mons. Salvatore Cordileone, joined the group on July 1, the day of the San Junípero festival.

It still is not clear what “historical, artistic and religious organizations” Cotrans consulted. Notably absent was the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

“I learned about the withdrawal of the statue of San Junípero Serra after it happened,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “Nobody defended San Junípero Serra because, apparently, Caltrans officials and the transport art program did not consult with anyone who gave them a different opinion than their own. Once again, Catholics are subject to prejudice and marginalization.”

Caltrans has not revealed the current location of the statue despite repeated requests for comments. In the rest area, only two sheets of paper in a showcase mark the absence of the local monument that previously pointed forward.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in the National Catholic Register.