Fermín Lasuén facts for kids

Fermín de Francisco Lasuén de Arasqueta (born in Vitoria, Spain, on June 7, 1736 – died at Mission San Carlos, California, on June 26, 1803) was a Basque Franciscan missionary. He became the leader of the Franciscan missions in Alta California. He also founded nine of the twenty-one Spanish missions in California.

Fray Fermín Lasuén as shown on a memorial for Fray Junípero Serra

Life Story of Fermín Lasuén

Statue of Fermín de Lasuén in San Juan Bautista.

Fermín Lasuén led the California Mission system for three years longer than Junípero Serra, who is more widely known. Lasuén was born in Vitoria, Spain, on July 7, 1736. He joined the Franciscan order just before his fifteenth birthday on March 19, 1751. This was a special ceremony where he received his Franciscan robe.

In 1759, Lasuén left a Franciscan sanctuary in Spain. He sailed from Cádiz with seventeen other friars to serve in the Americas. He arrived in New Spain (which is now Mexico) in 1761. In 1768, he was sent west to California. After Mission San Diego de Alcalá was started in 1769, he moved north to Alta California in 1773.

He stayed in San Diego until 1775. He helped to set up Mission San Juan Capistrano. However, he had to return to San Diego because of challenges with the local Kumeyaay people.

In late 1776, he went to San Luis Obispo. He returned to San Diego in 1777 and became a minister there. In 1785, he was chosen as the second Presidente (leader) of the missions in California. This happened after Junípero Serra passed away. Lasuén then moved to the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. He continued Serra's work, building 9 more missions. This brought the total number of missions to 18. He died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo on July 26, 1803. After his death, Esteban Tápis took over as leader.

His Personality and Strengths

Fermín Lasuén was a thoughtful and serious person. He was a very skilled leader and manager. He was determined to continue building the California missions. Captain Alessandro Malaspina, a famous explorer, described Lasuén as "a man who was truly like an apostle in his Christian knowledge, faith, and behavior." He also said Lasuén had "unusual manners and learning."

From his personal writings, we know that Lasuén sometimes felt lonely. He may have also felt sad because of the very tough conditions he faced in San Diego. He had to help bring order back after a difficult event there. Lasuén described the hard work of being a missionary: "A missionary priest has many jobs. He is responsible for the spiritual and daily needs of many different people. He cares for individuals who depend on him more than small children. There are many needs that come up, and many different things to do for the different groups in the community. He is surrounded by people who are not Christian, and he is in charge of new converts who can only be trusted a little."

In 1783, when he was 47, Lasuén wrote to a friend, Fray Joseph de Jesus Maria Velez. He said: "I am already old and my hair is completely gray. This is partly because of my age, but also because of the hard work of my job here. Especially during the five years I have been a minister in San Diego. This land is only for apostles, and its people need apostolic men who are greater than I am. But, thanks to God, I am healthy. I will try to use my health for some good purpose, even if I feel a bit tired."

Working with Junípero Serra and Felipe de Neve

In 1774, Fermín Lasuén asked to go back to the College of San Fernando in Mexico City. His request was not approved. Instead, Padre Serra appointed Lasuén as the leader of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. At that time, this mission was considered the poorest and most unstable.

Lasuén was worried about Native American uprisings. He often wrote to Serra and Felipe de Neve, who was the Governor of California from 1777 to 1782. He asked for advice about where to place the missions and how many soldiers were needed to protect them. Lasuén was very dedicated to his Christian faith. He wanted to help Native Americans adapt to mission life. He even used their languages to teach them, even though the Spanish king had forbidden it.

News about disagreements over how Native Americans were treated at the Mission San Francisco de Asís reached the governor of California, Diego de Borica. He warned Lasuén about these issues. Even though they sometimes disagreed on how to manage the missions and protect property, Lasuén wrote that Serra was "a most excellent leader and a holy man."

Missions Founded by Fray Fermín Lasuén

• Mission Santa Barbara (1786)
• Mission La Purísima Concepción (1787)
• Mission Santa Cruz (1791)
• Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (1791)
• Mission San José (1797)
• Mission San Juan Bautista (1797)
• Mission San Miguel Arcángel (1797)
• Mission San Fernando Rey de España (1797)
• Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (1798)

He also helped many other missions grow, like Mission San Gabriel Arcángel.

See also

In Spanish: Fermín Lasuen para niños