For St. Francis’ Jubilee year, how did the saint influence California?

The Spanish missionaries who in 1769 first christened California with the names of Christ, the Blessed Mother, and the saints, walked in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. Many, including St. Junípero Serra, were scholars who renounced an easy life for extreme hardship and isolation because they wanted to follow Christ as St. Francis did.

They often named missions for Franciscan saints, including Mission San Francisco de Asis, Mission Santa Clara de Asis, Mission San Antonio de Padua, Mission San Buenaventura, and Mission San Juan Capistrano. “The City of Angels” was never a mission, however.

In 1781, the Spanish military government established Los Angeles as a civilian pueblo, located in Tongva territory. In 1769, Padre Juan Crespi had named the region Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles del Rio Porciuncula (Our Lady Queen of Angels of the Portiuncula River). The Portiuncula is a hallowed Franciscan site; the chapel where St. Francis lived and formed his community in the medieval town of St. Mary of the Angels.

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(Photo Credit: CNS/Nancy Wiechec)