This biography presents a thorough and historically grounded account of Fray Junípero Serra, the Franciscan missionary best known for founding the California missions. Drawing on early sources, Fitch traces Serra’s life from his early formation in Majorca through his missionary work in New Spain and the Sierra Gorda, up to his role in establishing the Church’s presence along the Pacific coast.
Fitch avoids romantic embellishment, offering instead a plain and faithful account of Serra’s trials, travels, and tireless efforts to bring the Catholic faith to indigenous peoples. His physical endurance, deep piety, and missionary discipline are treated with the respect due to a man now canonized a saint, while the surrounding political and ecclesial context is sketched with care.
