Pope Francis canonized Junipero Serra, a Spanish missionary, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. today, the first canonization to take place in the United States.

Serra is recognized as the missionary who brought Christianity to California in the 1800s. He is integral to the history of the Catholic Church due to his involvement in the creation of the 21 missions in California.

Serra is the first Hispanic saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

“[Junipero Serra] was excited about blazing trails, going forth to meet many people, learning and valuing their particular customs and ways of life,” Pope Francis said in his homily during the Canonization Mass.

Serra’s legacy, however, is a little more complicated than simply spreading Catholicism to the New World. According to Rev. Timothy Kesicki, president of the Jesuit Conference in Washington D.C., many scholars acknowledge Serra’s complicated legacy regarding the mistreatment of Native Americans at the California missions.

“But I don’t think Pope Francis wants pristine saints,” Kesicki said, “because then no one will aspire to sainthood.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, today’s canonization was an important symbolic gesture to the United States Roman Catholic Church, which is being reinvigorated due to the country’s growing Hispanic population.

Today’s events were a part of Pope Francis’ first full day in the U.S. He will continue his whirlwind first visit with events at Congress and the United Nations tomorrow, a visit to a Harlem School and Central Park Friday, and the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Students are encouraged to check back on El Cid News for more updates about the Pope’s visit to the U.S.