That same spirit that empowered the apostles is also "alive in each one of us," the cardinal noted, and "each one of us has shared our own personal Pentecost in the saving waters of Baptism."

By looking to the history of the Catholic Church, it is possible to see the Holy Spirit at work in many individuals, including St. Junipero Serra, the cardinal said.

The saint, who was canonized by Pope Francis Sept. 23, 2015, on the east steps of the national shrine, is known for spreading the Gospel in the New World during the 18th century. The Franciscan priest landed in Mexico, then made his way on foot up the coast of Mexico and to California, where he established missions that are now the names of well-known cities such as San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Barbara.

"Traveling along the coastal highway and reading the name signs for the towns and cities that grew out of those missions reads like a litany of the saints, but it is actually a road map," the cardinal said.

It is estimated that during his ministry, St. Junipero Serra baptized about 6,000 native people.

"Today, in the context of this celebration of Pentecost ... we will bless a statue to commemorate St. Junipero Serra as a reminder to all who pass through this basilica of the power of the Spirit, the challenge of missionary discipleship and the witness of human holiness," said the cardinal.

Noting that the saint's motto was "siempre adelante," which means "always forward," the cardinal said, "May we feel in our heart the same excitement for the Gospel, the same power for the Spirit, the same zeal for souls that calls us to move 'siempre adelante,' always forward in the Lord, knowing that if we ask, God will send His Spirit."

Following the Mass, the cardinal processed out the east side of the shrine, followed by the concelebrating priests, choir, and congregation, to the site of the new statue of St. Junipero Serra, which was funded through the generosity of Tim and Steph Busch, who also founded a high school in San Juan Capistrano, California, which they named "JSerra Catholic High School."

Tim Busch attended St. Junipero Serra's canonization along with about 200 students from the school, and said he thinks the saint is a "good witness to young people that real people now are saints, not just thousands of years ago."

Busch, who is from California, frequently attends Mass in the chapel of a basilica that St. Junipero Serra founded and once celebrated Mass in. He said he wanted to be involved with making the new statue possible, because for people on the East Coast, "it is not a saint that they are familiar with."

The statue depicts the saint in his Franciscan robes, holding a crucifix on one hand and a church in another. It was sculpted by Italian artist Franco Cervetti, under the artistic design of Rambusch Decorating Co.

Following readings from the book of Isaiah and the Gospel of John, those gathered prayed for the intercession of St. Junipero Serra. Then, the cardinal blessed the statue, sprinkled it with holy water, and incensed the statue.

The church blesses a statue, the cardinal said, because "when we look at the representation of those who have followed Christ faithfully, we will be motivated to seek the kingdom of God that is to come" and we will be mindful of the saints, remembering "how they love us, are near us, intercede ceaselessly for us, and are joined to us in marvelous communion."

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Seegers is on the staff of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.