Fermín de Lasuén facts for kids

Fermín de Francisco Lasuén de Arasqueta (born June 7, 1736, in Vitoria, Spain – died July 26, 1803, in California) was an important Franciscan missionary. He was a leader of the Franciscan missions in Alta California and helped start nine of the twenty-one Spanish missions in California.

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

About Fermín Lasuén

A statue of Fermín de Lasuén in San Juan Bautista.

Fermín Lasuén led the California Mission system for three years longer than the well-known Junípero Serra. He was born in Vitoria, Spain, on July 7, 1736. As a teenager, he joined the Franciscan order just before his fifteenth birthday in 1751.

In 1759, Lasuén left Spain. He sailed from Cádiz with seventeen other friars to work as a missionary 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 built in 1769, he moved north to Alta California in 1773. He stayed in San Diego until 1775. He helped start Mission San Juan Capistrano. However, he had to return to San Diego because of unrest among the Kumeyaay Native Americans.

In late 1776, he went to San Luis Obispo. He then returned to San Diego in 1777, where he became a minister. In 1785, he was chosen as the second President of the missions in California. This happened after Junípero Serra passed away. Lasuén then moved to the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.

Lasuén continued the work Serra had started. He founded 9 more missions, bringing the total number of missions to 18. The final total was 21 missions. He died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo on July 26, 1803. After his death, Esteban Tápis took over his role.

His Personality and Skills

Fermín Lasuén was a thoughtful and serious person. He was a very skilled leader and worked hard to achieve his goals. He successfully founded many new California missions.

Captain Alessandro Malaspina 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 writings, we know that Lasuén sometimes felt lonely. He also faced tough challenges when he had to restore order in San Diego after a difficult event.

Working with Other Leaders

In 1774, Fermín Lasuén asked to return to Mexico City. His request was not approved. Instead, Padre Serra appointed him as the leader of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. At that time, Mission San Diego was considered the most challenging and least stable mission.

Lasuén was concerned about possible uprisings by Native Americans. He often wrote to Serra and Felipe de Neve, who was the Governor of California from 1777 to 1782. He asked for their advice on where to place missions and how many soldiers were needed to protect them.

Lasuén was very dedicated to his Christian faith. He wanted to help Native Americans learn Spanish ways. He even used their own languages to teach them, even though the Spanish king had forbidden it. There were discussions about the best ways to help the Native Americans at the missions. Governor Diego de Borica, who was also from Spain, warned Lasuén about these practices.

Even though they sometimes disagreed on how to manage the missions, Lasuén wrote that Serra was "a most excellent leader and a holy man."

Missions Started by Fray Fermín Lasuén

Fray Fermín Lasuén oversaw the building of these missions:

• 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