Father Junipero Serra Park will no longer be referred to by its informal name, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who made the announcement on October 11.

From the 1930s until 2020, a statue of Serra stood in the park. Still, it was toppled by protesters amid racial tensions and allegations that the saint, who died in 1784, was complicit in Spanish colonial injustices. Until a new name is chosen, the park will be known as La Plaza Park.

Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, via Twitter, mentioned their mission was to spread the good news of God's love and be living examples of that love through their actions, just as St. Junipero Serra was.

Criticizing an Outlandish Statement About Serra

According to the Eurasia Review, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and Gomez wrote an essay on September 12. They criticized an "outrageous claim" made by one of their opponents about Serra and the mission system he founded.

"As leaders of the state's two largest Catholic communities, we serve thousands of native Californians who trace their faith to ancestors who helped build the missions. We understand the bitter history of native exploitation. But history can be complicated, and facts matter," they said, as quoted in the report. 

During the era of Spanish colonization, Father Junipero Serra, a Spanish priest, established California's mission system and attempted to baptize Native Americans. The statue of Serra in the park was torn down during the racial justice protests of 2020.

"Native Americans have been the least people heard. But now, with what's going on in today's times, I feel that it's our opportunity to be heard and to be visible," Anthony Morales, chief of the Gabrielino/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, said, as quoted by the LA Magazine. 

Renaming the Park "Father Junipero Serra park"

Garcetti announced the renaming of the park during Indigenous Peoples' Day. He mentioned that LA is a city of belonging where people accept responsibility for their actions in the past and strive to do better in the future. 

Garcetti also added that because of this, people make a conscious effort to provide greater cultural sensitivity as well as places where Angelenos can gather and perform their traditional ceremonies.

Native Americans will be given priority access to the park, and the city will issue a formal apology. They will also work to determine what lands they should be given.

There will also be a cultural easement created in the park, as Mayor Garcetti announced via Twitter, "to expand access to tribal groups in recognition of their relationship with the land."

As stated in LA Mag, while the majority of the city's proposals to improve relations with Indigenous people have been agreed upon, Councilman Mitch O'Farrell has announced that he intends to move forward with an initiative aimed at modernizing the city seal and flag so that Indigenous people are represented, as well as issuing an official apology to Native American groups. 

He is also planning on filing a resolution to have the freeway named for Christopher Columbus renamed.