San Xavier Mission

There was not enough money to finish the right tower!

We decided to take in the San Xavier del Bac,  a mission found in the southern part of Arizona near Tucson.  It is an oldie and a goodie, founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino, making it one of the older settlements in America, The original founders and builders of the Jesuit variety.

The current structure at the mission and its' church was begun in the late 1700's and finished in 1789, the same year the United States got its' act together with the Constitution.  Anyway, the church is in a word, "Magnificent", and should not be missed by those who are interested in the history of the American West.  

The actual chapel is a classical representation of the Spanish Catholic churches of the day, with the front of the church decorated with exquisite artistry of the period, to include statues of God the Father, Mary and the largest one of Saint Francis Xavier.  This particular statue is taken down once per year and paraded before the supplicants in attendance, out in the courtyard in front of the cathedral, for their adoration--as I remember this is at Easter?   Since the chapel is formed in the shape of the cross, there are two additional areas for decoration, one of which contains another statue of St. Francis Xavier laying in a recumbent position, covered in magisterial red robes, to which are attached various pins of adoration for healings received at his spiritual hands.  One of these included the hospital identification attached to one's wrist when one enters the hospital, the owner of which yesterday was a certain Mr. Morales, who apparently feels much better and wants to show his devotion to the saints. The tradition is that you approach this statue and raise his head three times, or rub his head in veneration to thank him for his intercessional healing.  The power of faith displayed for all to see.

If you keep in mind the first Jesuit and then Franciscan Priests trekked 900 miles into the wilderness, more than 300 years ago to establish this mission, built and decorated it with absolutely spectacular artistry, to include paintings, murals, ceiling art and more than 50 hand made statues that had to be brought in one by one that same 900 miles, you can see the power of Religious devotion.  It is truly a remarkable thing.  The devotion of the human spirit to something larger than one's own ego is what made much of the good things of civilization whether it be the Pyramids, Greek Temples, the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, Catholic and Protestant churches, or the many Indian holy shrines.  All of these places endure and remind us we are not the be all, end all of the Universe.  

Back in the mid-nineties the Church hired a number of art restoration specialists from as far away as Spain, Italy and even Turkey to restore all of the paintings and frescoes found in the Cathedral, as well as those decorating the more than fifty statues.  They spent 3 months every year for six years restoring the church and its' art to its' original state.  The job they did was superlative, I might add.