San Xavier del Bac Mission Church is definitely a must-see destination for any Catholic Christian visiting southeast Arizona. Visible from all around as you approach, it stands out as a glimmering beacon to draw souls to the Lord. Sadly, the interior was under renovation with a lot of scaffolding when Connie and I attending, so the pictures of the gorgeous altar area are limited.
Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O’odham NationSan Xavier Indian Reservation.
The mission was founded in 1692 by Padre Eusebio Kino in the center of a centuries-old settlement of the Sobaipuri O’odham, a branch of the Akimel or River O’odham located along the banks of the Santa Cruz River. The mission was named for Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus(Jesuit Order) in Europe. The original church was built to the north of the present Franciscan church. This northern church or churches served the mission until it was razed during an Apache raid in 1770.
The mission that survives today was built between 1783 and 1797, which makes it the oldest European structure in Arizona.
200,000 visit this Mission Church each year. We saw a bus from Canada while we were there. The Catholic Church travels 😀
Grotto Hill
