Statue Of Divisive Saint Removed From A Bay Area Roadway After 50 Years

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The statue of a key figure in California history is provoking sharply divided opinions and accusations after being removed.

Caltarns removed the concrete statue of 18th century Spanish Catholic missionary Junípero Serra, which stood until August for half a century at an Interstate 280 rest stop near Hillsborough.

The corridor was alternatively known as the Junipero Serra Freeway and traverses Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco.

Conversations on social media helped spotlight controversy over the removal of the 26-foot cement statue of a kneeling Serra and its removal from the hillside.

Serra was a key figure California history. A Spanish Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order, Serra is considered the “Apostle of California" and a symbol of sacrifice and evangelization for the Catholic church.

He founded Catholic missions in California, including San Francisco’s Mission Dolores. In 2015, Pope Francis canonized Serra, making him a Catholic saint.

However, the missions and Serra were part of a system that subjugated native populations through disease, violence, and forced assimilation.

In 2020, a 30-foot bronze monument to Serra that stood in Golden Gate Park was pulled down as part of a Juneteenth commemoration.

The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone worked with other groups to have the I-280 statue removed.

The association sent Caltrans a letter in 2020 asking for the statue’s removal, according to reports. Jonathan Cordero, executive director of the association, told told SFGate that the group wanted to work with Caltrans to have the statue removed as a precedent for similar future actions.

The Archbishop of the San Francisco Archdiocese, Salvatore Cordileone, accused Caltrans destroying the statue without informing the church, according to SFGate. Caltrans officials said they conducted an “extensive outreach campaign” that began in spring 2024 that included contacting 15 distinct organizations, including Cordileone personally.

Caltrans notified St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Burlingame, the California Missions Foundation, the San Mateo County Arts Commission, local elected officials, the San Mateo County Historical Society and the artist’s family, according to reports.

Caltrans began evaluating "renaming and removal of harmful names and monuments" in 2022.

"Today, there is broad recognition that the individuals, groups, and notions that are celebrated in public space are not just incidental but purposeful reflections of societal values," according to the authors of the study.

In 2020, the San Francisco Arts Commission announced plans to evaluate which of the city’s nearly one hundred public monuments and memorials should be removed, according to reports.