Delegation of American residents in Spain visit the Fray Juniper Serra Museum in Petra

Accompanied by the President of the Association of Friends of Fray Juniper Serra and the Vice-President of the Fray Juniper Serra Foundation, the former US Consular Agent to the Balearics Tummy Bestard, the group, which is spending the weekend at the Soller Naval base, were given a special tour of the museum dedicated to the Majorcan Franciscan monk who founded California and is considered one of the founding fathers of the United States.

The group included Molly Long, representing the Navy League Madrid, Diane Bucy Fernandez from Daughters of the American Revolution Madrid, Joan Font Massot, the Mayor of Petra and the US Consular Agent to the Balearics, Amy Christiansen.

Speeches were given by all the key figures to cement the friendship between the United States and Spain and the important part Serra, his fellow Majorcan monks and Spain played in the forming of California.

There was also an exchange of gifts, including a historic map showing the influence of Spain in North America at the time of Juniper Serra.
The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C..
It is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organisation dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children.

Tummy Bestard has just returned from a six-day visit to the United States to further promote the Serra museum and to organise special trips from the USA to Majorca to visit the birthplace of Serra whose missions still exist and continue to operate in the United States.

They are also protected as heritage sites by the US government and Serra is studied by American children at school as part of their history.