https://online.studiesweekly.com/student/classrooms/23d30576-0b52-4d16-9ece-6d6c08ba9364/publications/244/units/938/week/8827/articles/45444
Junípero Serra is known as the father of California’s mission system, but he was not the only priest who helped settle California. Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén was another priest who helped the Catholic Church grow. He did a lot of his work in Alta California. Father Lasuén was born in Spain in 1736. He became a Franciscan priest in 1759 and traveled to Mexico. He moved to Baja California before he moved to Alta California. That was where he met Father Junípero Serra. Father Serra was in charge of the mission systems until he died in 1784. That was when Father Lasuén was chosen to take over the job. Father Serra and Father Lasuén were both dedicated priests. They were different in some important ways. Father Serra was very smart, but he was not always good at talking to people. Father Lasuén was known for being able to get along with everyone and for being very fair. Father Lasuén started nine of the 21 missions in California. Some of those missions were in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Jose. He was good at helping missionaries teach American Indians about the Catholic Church. Father Lasuén was also good at business. He helped missions choose crops that would make the most money. He found ways for missions to take care of large numbers of animals. Father Lasuén even found ways to make the buildings better. He told missions to use adobe buildings with red tile roofs. These buildings were stronger and did not need to be repaired as often. Father Lasuén died in 1803 and was buried next to Father Serra at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, or the Carmel Mission.
