Located 10 miles south of Tucson, Arizona on the Tohono O’odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation
How it all began
Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, was an Italian Jesuit, missionary, and explorer that spent the last third of his life in northern Mexico and southern Arizona. Father Kino worked closely with the indigenous Native American population, which included the Tohono O’odham. While in the ‘Americas’, Father Kino helped start a total of 24 missions.
As it stands today
The version of the San Xavier Mission that you see today is the oldest European structure in Arizona. The mission was built by the O’odham people between 1783 and 1797. It is a well-known pilgrimage site, with hundreds of thousands of people visiting each year.
It has become a ‘must-do’ stop on every trip I take to Arizona. I’ve been nearly a dozen times and it gets better with every visit.
The Mission’s history in articles and photos
Thanks to the Library of Congress and online newspaper sources, here is a collection of late 19th and very early 20th century news articles and photos of the San Xavier Mission.
In more recent times
The “White Dove of the Desert” as it is often referred to has continued to be renovated over the years as much as donations will allow for. San Xavier Mission became an official U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1960 and joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
In 1971, the Mission was put on its first stamp.
According to the San Xavier Mission website, the church is not available to rent. The Mission is also “not to be used for advertising of commercial businesses, used as a set for movies, or commercial photo-shoots.”
But in 1979…
The exterior of the Mission was used in the 1979 TV mini-series Salem’s Lot. The San Xavier Mission played the role of a fictitious church in Guatemala.
See it for yourself
The pictures don’t do San Xavier Mission del Bac any justice. If you’re ever in the Tucson area of Arizona, or visiting my dad in Green Valley, do yourself a favor and stop by. Leave a donation, don’t leave a donation, just be respectful.
Stop by the Coyote Kitchen while you’re there and buy some Tohono O’odham souvenirs. The ‘man in the maze’ logo will be my first tattoo if I ever decide to do it. I even asked for permission from some of the tribal elders.
Father Kino
The man in the black hat is ‘Father Kino’. Another ‘must do’ while in southern Arizona is Tumacacori National Historical Park. Father Kino established this church as well and it’s only a 35 minute drive south. In the Tumacacori museum you’ll find the life sized statue of Father Kino where you can take goofy selfies like I have for the past 10 years.
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