The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-07

iona. Both were erected in pursuance
of a scheme to establish circle of
missions from Loretto to Monterey
Fathers Kino and Juan Calva TERRA
are said to have been the originators-
They We're present at the laying of the
corner stane of the Church of San
/ Xavier 1t took thirty years to build
the church.
The foundation walls are of fine brick,
| covered with a smooth, thick layer Of
cement. The outside of the walls are
of the same material; on the inside
they are Of heWn CobblestJnes, also
smeared with the cement and hand
somely succeed.
OF castellated style, the building is
surmounted by a dome and two NINA
rets of Moslem architecture. The front
is decorated with the coat of arms Of
the Franciscan Monks-a coil of rope
ana two arms. One barred, is the arm
OF CHRIST; the other, clothed Is that
of st. Francis of Assist. the founder of
the order which bears his name. And
a bust of the saint appears to the right
or the coat of armS-at least what there
is left Of the bust At each angle OF
the facing are the remains of gritftns
ana dragons. originally forty-eIEht.
many Of these figures have been taken
away by siSht-seeTs, and these that
remain are III sad condition OF decay.
Surrounding the tiled roof is q ballus-
trade of brick and cement, looking
down upon the old portico where 50
many morning prayers We're breathed.
IN the form of huge Latin cross is
the interior Of the church. Four large
paintings cover the immense ceiling,
and extend from some distance down
the arched sides. They represent The
AnnunciatiOn, the Visitation of the Nir-
gin to Elizabeth. the Nativity and the
Visitation of the Magi. The ceiling
ltself-ffty feet from the tlOOring-fs
supported by six massive arches.
The Chapel of the Mother of Sorrow
is to the right and there, firmly I'M
bedded in the cement is d large cross
OF IronWood 1t is covered with inscrip-
tons and characters, most of which
may barely be made out. In two Of
the angles of the main arChWay are two
images, supposed to represent arch
angels. According to the traditions OF
the Church they have the forms of two
daughters of the artist and designer of
the decorations. over the doorway
leading to the vestry is cut the name
of the builder of the church, Pedro
Bojargues.
1t Is said that the monks had gath
cred a colony of workers around them,
and that vineyards flour ed and farms
were fruitful. when, without warning.
the missions were declared cOn1lSCdteU
by the state. LOath to believe that such
was the case, the monks received the
bad news without a show of feeling.
But when a courier arrived telling them
that such was the fact, and that even
then an emissary of the state was on
his way to take possession of the mis-
sion property, they began the work
which has left the church a ruin.
Everything portable was taken from
the walls. the altar stripped of its gold
and silver; even the heavy gold leaf
was taken from the statues. paintings
were cut out from their frames and
rolled up, the vineyards for miles
around were uprooted. orchards were
cut down and the garden that had
bloomed so sweetly was 81 thing of the
past.
Then, the tears of the Indians, whom
they had befriended and were leaving,
mingled with their own. with all their
earthly possessions Weighing down the
burrOs, the sorrOwful monks left their
church and the scene of their wonder
full work, and their pack train started
for Guaymas, where the men of God
babe foTewell to this country and re-
turned to the old world, whence they
had come. Today the ruins of the struc-
ture remain as a monument to their pa
tent endeavors.