From the Friars: Greater Love Has No Man

In 2015 I was very blessed to concelebrate the Mass of Canonization of St. Junípero Serra in Washington, D.C. This great missionary is known as the founder of California and spent many years in tireless service of the native people of what is now Mexico and California. Sadly, he has been falsely accused of abusing the Indians. In truth he loved them deeply and only sought their good. When there was a revolt in the San Diego mission and a friar was killed, the saint pleaded for the killer: “Let the murderer live so he can be saved, which is the purpose of our coming here.”

Over 150 years before St. Junípero arrived in California, five of his brother Franciscan missionaries died as martyrs in the Spanish colonial province of La Florida. Six of us FPC’s had the privilege of attending their Beatification Mass in Savannah, Georgia on October 31st.

These earlier missionaries had a different method than those of the west. They went to live in the villages of the natives without protection of the Spanish military. This made them more vulnerable but well-beloved for their solidarity with the people. Father Pedro de Corpa was very gifted and had good success in bringing the native Guale people to faith in Jesus and His Church.

One challenge was the practice of polygamy. Therefore, the friars had a policy of not Baptizing anyone unless they clearly accepted Our Lord’s teaching about marriage as a Sacrament between one man and one woman. In 1597 a young warrior named Juanillo, who was the likely successor to the current chief, decided to take a second wife. When Fr. Pedro reminded him of the commitment he had made at his Baptism, Juanillo and a war party revolted and killed the priest and then four other missionaries in other villages. A sixth friar, Francisco de Ávila, was captured and tortured for ten months. He survived and then refused to testify against his abductors because he knew they would have been executed.

Whatever evil motives some Spanish who came to the new world had, these newly beatified martyrs show us the heroic charity of laying down one’s life for ones’ friends.

May we imitate their example.

Bl. Pedro and companions, pray for us!
Fr. Peter