Blessed Junipero Serra, the Spanish Franciscan missionary, who evangelized Indians and established twenty-one missions in California, will be canonized by Pope Francis on his trip to the United States later this month. He will be the first person canonized on U.S. soil.
Note the excellent resources provided by Bishop-elect Robert Barron on the Word on Fire site related to the life of Serra and some of the expected controversies spurred by his canonization.
More information on the Bl. Junipero Serra can be found at the USCCB site.
