Mission San Xavier del Bac: the white dove of the desert

Tucson San Xavier del Bac

Tucson San Xavier del Bac front

Tucson San Xavier del Bac front 3

Tucson San Xavier del Bac 2

Tucso San Xavier del Bac B_W

Tucson San Xavier del Bac front 2

Tuscon San Xavier del Bac

Tucson San Xavier del Bac Cactus

Tucson Cactus

After taking a lot of trips across the country lately, it was time to be the tourist a little closer to home. After all, seeing your hometown through visitor's eyes can be very eye-opening! And besides the Saquaros and the good Mexican food, Tucson is known for an 18th Century Catholic Pilgrimage site...

That's why I visited the Mission San Xavier del Bac, a national historic landmark Southwest of Tucson founded in 1692 by Jesuit Father Francisco Kino. Named after St. Francis Xavier, the chosen patron saint of Kino, del Bac means 'place where water appears'. The Santa Cruz river used to flow underground and reappear at the site of the Mission, but now only runs a couple of days a year. The original church got destroyed during an Indian riot in 1751 and after that the religious control was transferred to the Franciscans. It was part of a whole chain of Spanish missions in the Sonoran desert, but the only one still actively run today by Franciscan Friars.

A fine example of Spanish colonial architecture, the current structure dates from the late 1700s. Spanish Franciscan missionary Bautista Velderrain probably hired architect Ignacio Gaona (but nobody is certain) for the design and used the local Tohono O'odham (desert people in their local language) tribe to built it. The colorful paintings on the wall and ceilings gave the Mission the nickname 'the Sistine Chapel of North America'.

When in the 19th Century Mexico fought for independence from Spain, all the Friars were expelled from the site. During this time, the Tohono Indians took care of the Mission and protected it from Apache attacks. Until this day the Mission stands on Tohono O'odham land and is a central part of their congregation.

The Mission is also still an important pilgrimage site for the Catholic community from all over the world. People arrive on foot from all parts of the Sonoran desert and Mexico, or make a more traditional journey on horseback, called the Cabalgata. This is a mass trail ride to a holy Christian site and an important annual Mexican tradition.

After all, the bright white structure of Mission San Xavier del Bac, also nicknamed the 'White Dove of the Desert', did surprisingly impress me and is definitely worth a visit!