- Feb 5, 2002
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California transportation officials say the Serra statue failed program standards; Archbishop Cordileone says Catholics were shut out of the decision.
For nearly 50 years, a 26-foot statue of Franciscan missionary Father (now Saint) Junípero Serra stood along Interstate 280, the 57-mile freeway connecting San Francisco and San Jose.
No longer. And the reasons for its removal remain murky.
Local media was silent. Because the statue stood behind a locked gate and cars sped by at 75 miles an hour, few noticed when Caltrans crews removed the imposing structure. Only in September did people start talking about it, after a Sept. 11 social media post went viral.
A representative from the California Department of Transportation confirmed to the Register Oct. 1 that the statue — located near Hillsborough at the Dale M. Krings Memorial Rest Area, named for a slain California Highway Patrol Officer — was removed in August.
St. Junípero was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 for his missionary witness in Mexico and California. Nine missions were founded during his tenure as Father President of the California missions.
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
For nearly 50 years, a 26-foot statue of Franciscan missionary Father (now Saint) Junípero Serra stood along Interstate 280, the 57-mile freeway connecting San Francisco and San Jose.
No longer. And the reasons for its removal remain murky.
Local media was silent. Because the statue stood behind a locked gate and cars sped by at 75 miles an hour, few noticed when Caltrans crews removed the imposing structure. Only in September did people start talking about it, after a Sept. 11 social media post went viral.
A representative from the California Department of Transportation confirmed to the Register Oct. 1 that the statue — located near Hillsborough at the Dale M. Krings Memorial Rest Area, named for a slain California Highway Patrol Officer — was removed in August.
St. Junípero was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 for his missionary witness in Mexico and California. Nine missions were founded during his tenure as Father President of the California missions.
Continued below.
Where Is St. Junípero Serra? Mystery Over Missing Freeway Landmark
California transportation officials say the Serra statue failed program standards; Archbishop Cordileone says Catholics were shut out of the decision.
