Junípero Serra was born on Majorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea. Serra's parents enrolled Serra in a school run by the Franciscan religious order. He excelled there, and in 1730 he officially joined the Franciscans. He quickly gained a reputation as a great theologian and philosopher. He was ordained as a priest in 1738. For a time he taught philosophy at Lullian University on Majorca, but he soon abandoned his teaching job to become a missionary to the New World. He worked among the American Indians in Mexico and Texas until he was chosen to lead a new missionary effort in California. In July 1769 Serra founded Mission San Diego, the first mission in present-day California. Over the next 15 years, he founded eight more missions, many of which became California's earliest cities. Despite his poor health, Serra walked thousands of miles to found his missions. His motto was "always forward, never back." Serra was also a great defender of the American Indians under his care. He often clashed with the military over their treatment. Serra is known as the "Apostle of California."
