RonnieAdventure #0007 - Mission San Xavier del Bac, Pima County, Arizona

When my sister-in-law arranged for a personal tour of Mission San Xavier del Bac by one of the Franciscan Friars, I immediately gratefully accepted the invitation. The Mission is located about ten miles south of Tucson on the Tohono O’odham San Xavier Indian Reservation (formerly known as Papago) and is a popular tourist destination. The mission is also known as “the place where the water appears” because there were once natural springs in the area, and it is also often referred to as “The White Dove of the Desert” because of the structure’s exterior white color. I have visited the mission many times as a tourist, but never as a guest; so I knew that this tour would be a very special RonnieAdventure.

The Mission was originally established in 1692 by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino, who was the founder of 24 missions in what is now Southwestern United States and Sonora Mexico. However, in 1767 Charles III of Spain banned all Jesuits from Spanish lands in the Americas because of his distrust for them, and replaced them with the Franciscans. The original mission building that was constructed by the Jesuits was located about two miles away from the current site, but was destroyed by Apache Indian attacks in about 1770.

Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz oversaw construction of the current building between 1783 and 1797, using native labor and a loan of 7,000 Pecos from the Catholic Church. In 1828 the Mexican government banned all Spanish priests from Mexican territories, so the building sat vacant until 1853 when the property was brought under U.S. jurisdiction by the Gadsen Purchase. The church was reopened in 1859 by the Santa Fe Diocese, and Franciscan priest were reassigned to the Mission.

The exterior of the building is coated with white limestone slurry from materials mined in the area and entrance into the church is through a doorway that has massive, carved mesquite wood doors. Because of the thickness of the adobe walls, the building feels cool even during the summer months. The interior of the building is richly decorated with ornamentation showing a mixture of New Spain and Native American art work consisting of paintings, carvings, frescoes, and statues that were probably created by Native American artisans. Over the years there have been several renovations projects to restore the building to its grandeur, but some of the restoration projects actually caused the building to deteriorate. The concrete stucco added in the 1980s was found to trap water inside of the building, causing damage to the interior decorations; so the concrete stucco is being replaced with the traditional mud plaster (which includes pulp from the Prickly Pear Cactus) that “breathes” and allows excess water to escape.  

When viewing the building from the front, the first thing that one notices is that the bell tower on the right appears to be unfinished. No one knows for certain why the bell tower was left uncompleted, but the two most prevalent legends are that early taxation laws did not apply to buildings under construction, so the building was never completed; and the other legend is that the second tower was left unfinished until the “Excellent Builder” will come to direct its completion.

After touring the building, a trip is not complete until one partakes of the various foods offered by Native American vendors located in the Mission parking lots. I have actually been known to drive out of my way just to stop for Fry Bread!