On 9/28/2015, the Daily Mail (
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"'Saint of Genocide' : Statue of a controversial missionary who was canonized by Pope Francis at a mass less than a week ago is vandalized
Statue of Father Junipero Serra in Carmel Mission has been vandalized
Comes less than a week after he was canonized by Pope Francis at a mass
Father Serra's elevation to Sainthood has been a controversial decision
Native Americans say he cut off their culture and spread diseases in California
By JENNIFER NEWTON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 05:00 EST, 28 September 2015 | UPDATED: 12:20 EST, 28 September 2015
The statue of a missionary who was controversially canonized by Pope Francis less than a week ago has been vandalized at the mission where his remains are buried.
Police in Carmel, California, say that the statue of Father Junipero Serra had green paint thrown over it at the Carmel Mission on Saturday night.
Sergeant Luke Powell also said how grave stones were also toppled and vandalized while the words 'Saint of Genocide' was daubed across one of the stones.
The vandalism comes less than a week after Father Serra was elevated to Sainthood by the Pontiff during a Mass outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.
The 18th century Spanish friar is credited with taking the Catholic faith west and into California.
In 1769, he established his first mission in San Diego and went on to found numerous additional missions teaching religion and farming.
But many Native Americans say the missions cut their ancestors off from their traditional languages and cultures.
He is also accused of enslaving those who converted to Christianity and bringing disease that led to the mass extermination of Indian populations, meaning his sainthood was controversial.
Erica Yanez, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Monterey, said that the vandalism occurred on the even of a ceremony at the Mission to commemorate Father Serra, that was due to be attended by 1,000 people.
However, she added: 'By 11am Mass, the vandalism had been cleaned out by volunteers.'
Pope Francis announced in January that Father Serra, who is revered by Roman Catholics for his missionary work, would become a saint.
The Pontiff even fast-tracked Serra's canonization by eliminating the need to show proof of two miracles.
Last Wednesday, Francis spoke in his native Spanish, and Latino Catholics from California were among the 25,000 people who got tickets to the outdoor Mass in Washington.
Meanwhile, hundreds of faithful gathered at the historic mission to watch the Mass on a giant TV screen and pray.
In his homily, the Pope defended Serra, characterizing him as a kind and open-hearted man who protected Native Americans from colonizers.
He said: 'He was excited about blazing trails, going forth to meet many people, learning and valuing their particular customs and ways of life.
'Junipero sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it.
'Mistreatment and wrongs which today still trouble us, especially because of the hurt which they cause in the lives of many people.'
But at the same time, about a dozen Native Americans gathered in a small, ageing mission cemetery inside the grounds to worship their ancestors in a silent protest of the canonization."