Archbishop, community surprised by Junipero Serra statue removal along Hwy 280 in San Mateo Co.

HILLSBOROUGH, Calif. (KGO) -- Since 1976, a nearly 30-foot-tall statue depicting Saint Junipero Serra overlooked Highway 280 in Hillsborough, but not any more.

Many were recently surprised to find the statue was no longer in its usual spot, including the Archbishop of San Francisco.

Here one day, seemingly gone the next.

The Saint Junipero Serra statue, an iconic sight for 50 years, was removed by CalTrans because it did not meet current Transportation Art Program requirements and was the frequent target of vandalism.

It was also not eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources.

Patricia Gonzalez has worked at the Crystal Springs rest stop for many years and says its removal has come as a shock to many visitors.

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"People are going to miss it," Gonzalez said. "People still come every day from all over the world. The last person that came was from Ireland. They brought some relatives to see the statue, and it was gone."

You can add Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone to the list of those surprised. He said he learned about the statue's fate only after it was removed.

He told ABC7 News in a statement that officials likely didn't consult with anyone who would give them a different opinion and, "would we expect this treatment if it happened to be associated with another religious organization? I think not."

The statue that once stood here was actually removed in August.

Due to its rebar and concrete construction, it could not be preserved and was instead completely destroyed.

CalTrans announced plans to remove the statue in March after years of trying by the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone.

The statue was often vandalized, including being spray painted with the words "monument of genocide" in 2020.

In a letter to CalTrans from 2020, the association recognized Serra is an important historical figure, but added, "Such an honoring offends many Indigenous peoples of California... especially the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original peoples of the entire San Francisco Peninsula."

The association also had the Gaspar de Portola statue removed in Pacifica in 2024, where it stood for 30 years.

Gonzalez understands some were upset by the Serra statue, but she still holds fond memories.

"I grew up in San Francisco and remember as a little girl going to Blackberry Farm with my parents driving," Gonzalez said. "Every time we passed the statue, I knew that we were almost there. So, that's a memory of the statue and it's sad that it's gone."

The spot will remain empty as CalTrans announced no statue will be placed there in the future.

CalTrans released the following statement:
Caltrans District 4 conducted an extensive outreach campaign starting in the Spring of 2024 to inform all relevant stakeholders about the planned removal of the statue. The Caltrans outreach included contacting 15 distinct organization such as direct notification to Archbishop Cordileone, St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Burlingame, San Mateo County Historical Society, California Missions Foundation, San Mateo County Arts Commission, local elected officials, and the artist's family. The Archdiocese of San Francisco was formally notified in November 2024. Claims that our agency failed to inform these parties are inaccurate.

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