Mission San Xavier del Bac is a Catholic church founded by a
Jesuit priest, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a European spreading the
word of God in a new land in 1692.
While traveling to what is now known as California, Kino
found a Pima Indian village near a stream bed ("Bac" means "where a
stream emerges") in the Sonoran Desert. He stopped and preached to the
people who were receptive to his teachings. Father Kino did not stay in
this location, but visited it often during his travels.
From 1692 through 1782 various priests took charge of the
church and either visited regularly or were commissioned there. The
services took place in a different church than the one that exists
today.
During this time the
old church was vulnerable to Apache attacks but was left untouched.
Charles III of Spain banned all Jesuits from Spanish lands because of
distrust of the secular talents of the Jesuits, so from this time (late
1760's) on San Xavier would be led by Franciscans.
Today's church was built in 1783. Not much is written about the
Mission from the time it was built until 1828. At this time the Mexican
government demanded loyalty from all Spanish priests, and many,
including the priest at San Xavier, refused. Therefore, the priest
serving at San Xavier was sent home to Spain, and San Xavier was left
vacant.
From 1828-1858 the church began to decay and local Indians,
concerned about the church, took church furnishings into their homes as a
way of preserving what they could. In 1849 the California gold rush
began, and then a large number of people came to the church on their
travels to California. Most visitors wrote their names on the walls
inside. Read more about the Tucson Gold Rush and the San Xavier del Bac Mission.
In 1858 a diary entry by a visitor from Ohio explained that the
door to San Xavier was always open and that the church had been taken
over by birds and that the Indians respected it too much to vandalize
it.
The decaying church was helped in 1859 when the Gadsden
Purchase added Arizona to the Santa Fe Diocese. The Bishop for the Santa
Fe Diocese ordered a scout to Arizona, where they discovered San
Xavier. Repairs were made with Diocese money and a priest was assigned
to serve at San Xavier.
A school was begun several times at San Xavier. The church
received funding through the government for school, but the first
attempt in 1864 failed, as local Indians did not send their children.
In 1895 a school was
opened again, and a grant of $1,000 was given to repair the building.
Classrooms were added on at the start of the century. In 1947 a new
school was built next to the church for the Tohono O'odham children.
(left) Close-up of completed
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