The bronze statue of Father Junipero Serra arrived on the back of a trailer and was hauled by a large crane into its new home at the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura.
"The statue is estimated to weigh about 3,000 pounds. Its height is nine feet, three inches," explained Father Tom Elewaut, the Pastor at the Mission.
The statue was removed from California Street, in front of Ventura City Hall in 2020, where it had been located for decades, because it was offensive to some members of the community - and moved to private property at the Mission.
"The goal always was agreement with the descendants of the indigenous Chumash and the City, and the mission that the statue would come here to the Mission as a final place for public viewing within the context of the Mission grounds," said Elewaut.
