12. Thesis Topic: The Paradox of the California Missions, Thesis Statement: Father Junípero Serra still has his flock and followers and he continues to make steady progress on his way to canonization. But he also has his detractors who accuse the Franciscan of establishing a system that at best can only be considered a noble failure and at worst the almost complete opposite of heaven on earth. Defended by romantics and vilified by realists the California missions are an enigma.