Newman Nights: Junipero Serra

Junipero Serra's Approach to the Native Peoples of the Californias

Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30pm in Old Union, CIRCLE Common Room

The canonization of Junipero Serra has raised a thorny issue: how do you assess a man? Was he a Catholic saint or a Spanish oppressor? At our first Newman Nights lecture of the year, Dr. Rose Marie Beebe and Dr. Robert Senkewicz will attempt to illuminate the man himself and his mission from a historical perspective.

Dr. Rose Marie Beebe is Professor of Spanish Literature, and Dr. Robert Senkewicz is Professor of History, both at Santa Clara University. They have collaborated on a number of books on the history of Spanish and Mexican California. Their latest volume is Junipero Serra: California, Indians, and the Transformation of a Missionary (University of Oklahoma Press, 2015). They have received numerous teaching and scholarship awards at Santa Clara, as well as awards from The Bancroft Library, the Historical Society of Southern California, the California Mission Studies Association, and the California Council for the Promotion of History.

Newman Nights is a series of occasional presentations on topics drawn from the full breadth and depth of Catholic theology. This program is designed to be of interest to all members of our community. This lecture is open to the public; there is no charge for admission.