Junípero Serra y Ferrer (1713-1784) was a Roman Catholic Spanish priest and Franciscan friar who founded the first nine of the 21 Spanish missions in California. He was commenorated in 1907 with a bronze statue in Golden Gate Park. Mathews designed the base.

Pope Francis canonized Padre Serra in 2005. Vandels toppled the Padre Serra statue in 2020.

The statue contributed to the Golden Gate Park Historic District.