Tuesday in Tucson brought my 26 in ’26 quest up to an even dozen, remaining ahead of pace. And the 12th was the most spectacular to date.
San Xavier del Bac Mission is located just outside the city on the Tohono O’odham reservation, where it continues to serve the people of the village of Wa:k. The mission was founded in 1692 by Padre Eusebio Kino, but the original church was destroyed in a raid. The current building was constructed between 1983 and 1797 and remains the oldest European structure in Arizona.
Though the mission was founded by a Jesuit, it has long been run by the Franciscans, with assistance from the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and the Dominican Sisters of Peace also supporting the operations of both the parish and the mission school.
52 Masses 