Head of decapitated Junipero Serra statue found in Monterey cove

Police in Northern California say the head of a statue of Father Junipero Serra at the lower Presidio of Monterey that was defaced in October has been found.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTEREY - Police in Northern California say the head of a statue of Father Junipero Serra at the lower Presidio of Monterey that was defaced in October has been found.

The Monterey Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1TuYZNp ) that Monterey police Sgt. Mickey Roobash says a girl came across the head Saturday while walking in shallow water at Breakwater Cove.

The statue was one of several targeted by vandals in the Monterey Peninsula after Pope Francis elevated Serra to sainthood in September. A statue in the city of Carmel and one at the Carmel mission were also vandalized.

The 18th-century Roman Catholic missionary brought the Catholic faith to California.

Many Native Americans say the missions cut their ancestors off from their traditional languages and cultures and enslaved those who converted to Christianity.

___

Information from: The Monterey County Herald, http://www.montereyherald.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor