Mission San Xavier del Bac

Located 9 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, Mission San Xavier del Bac attracts pilgrims from around the globe. Founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio... more

by Stephen Stookey

Title

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Artist

Stephen Stookey

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Located 9 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, Mission San Xavier del Bac attracts pilgrims from around the globe. Founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino, the current Spanish Colonial structure dates to a century later. The sanctuary interior contains elaborate wall murals and several original statuary.

Jesuit Eusebio Kino, founder of the Sonoran Desert mission chain, established the Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1692, creating the village of Wa:k (also known as "Bac") at the center of the O'odham settlement. Kino named the mission for the famed missionary pioneer and co-founder of the Jesuit order, Francis Xavier. In 1700 Kino began work on the foundation for an unbuilt mission church. Kino frequently visited and preached in the San Xavier mission. Father Espinosa oversaw the construction of the first mission church in 1756.

With the Jesuits expelled from New Spain in 1767, Franciscans assumed leadership of San Xavier in 1768. Father Juan Bautista Velderrain initiated construction of the current church structure in 1783. Architect Ignacio Gaona drew from Moorish influences for the Spanish Colonial style mission church. Upon the death of Velderrain in 1790, Father Juan Bautista Llorens oversaw the interior design, hiring skilled artisans from Mexico for the murals and carvings. With funds exhausted, and one bell tower short of completion, construction stopped and the doors of Mission San Xavier del Bac opened for worship. The gleaming white stucco exterior, set against the Sonoran desert backdrop, led to the mission's nickname, 'The White Dove of the Desert.'

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Uploaded

March 14th, 2015