Evening star., 1901-09-07
THAT OF SAN XAVIER DEL BAG AT
TUCSON, ARIZ.
Built n Century and a Quarter Ago in
the Heart of Wilderness
Difficulties Overcome.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

dfCHIIeCturdl miracle as Wei DIS uilA dSio
Of majesty" coming forth, as 1t did, from
the toll of the 'hands of brass" OF its
dusky artisans, needs no proof to him who
has visited it and has marked the enormous
obstacles that necessarily presented them
selves in the building of it's marvellous
structure If the same building were to
be erected in this latter day. with skilled
labor and with all the materials necessary
for It's construction Immediately at hand,
and, indeed, under circumstances contain
Ing no unfavOrable elements, we would
still marvel at the result. It was, how
ever, begun nearly a century and quar-
ter ago, and completed after fourteen years
OF labor, with practically none of the ma
terials obtainable which modern architec-
tura1 science considers essentials in con-
struction, save water, stone, soil and sand.
Built, as it was, leagues remote from the
then civilized world, in the heart OF saw
age country, with no labor save that fur
| nished by the unframed hand of the In
dian, and with no tools except the rude i'm
plements of their own manufacture. the
structure, with its wonderful architectural
design skillfully executed, its substantial
walls, its beamless roof, its graceful dome,
its vaulted nave. it's Moorish arches. its
columns and arabesques, its affairs, statues
and delicate frescOes, becomes real mira
Gle which is no less a miracle whether the
hands that built it were those of the train
ed mechanic or the crude savage.
In the Santa Crua Valley.
Without question, this old church Is the
| most remarkable as well as the finest Of
all the mission buildings to be found in the
southwest. 1t is located in the Santa Cruz
valley, on the Papago Indian reservation.
nine miles from the city Of Tucson, Ariz.
The history of the mission is too long to be
considered at length, but an outline of a
few important historical facts in connec-
ton with it can be given.
The mission was founded in 1901 by Faith
er EusebiO kinO and Father Maria de Sal
vatierra. both Of the Society Of Jesus. Fol-
lowing the heroic example Of Fray Marcos
de Mia and Fray Juan de Padlla, the
Franciscans, the former Of whom had en-
tered what Is now the territory embraced
by Arizona and New Mexico as early as
1880, and the latter a shor. time there
after, Father Kino, with his associates, zeal
GUS for the salvation Of the countless souls
In the benighted land, came, in 1851, under
the direction Of his superiors. but at his
own solicitation, to the mission Of Dolores,
in Sonora, where he established his head
quarters. He entered Immediately upon
his missionary work and founded the mis-
sions OF 'Guevavi and San Xavier del Bac,
extending his laborS as far as the Gila
river. .
His work was productive. vast numbers
OF the Indians being received into the
church. He taught them to till the soil
and to engage in pursuits conducive to
their happiness and prosperity. Thus he
iabored for twenty-nine years. when he
died. After him the fathers of the Society
of Jesus ministered to the needs spiritual
and temporal, of the Papagoes until the
year 1861. when, by decree Of the govern
ment, the Jesuits were expelled from Span
ish dominion in all parts of the world
The missions of Sonora and Arizona were
then given into the hands of the Francis
cans, and in June. 176S, Fray Francisco
Garces OF that order took residence at the
mission of San Xavier del Bac. In 1871 he
lost his life at this mission in general
uprising of the Indians. After quiet mad
been restored the Franciscans resumed
their eiabors among the Indians of the mis-
sion.
Fourteen Years. Work.
In 1888. under the direction of Fray Bal
thassar Garlic, the erection of the mission
church Of San Xavier del Bac was begun.
and later was continued under the admins
tration Of his successor as superior of the
mission, Fray Narcisco Gutierres The
work Of building continued for fourteen
years. the labor being performed mainly
by the Indians under the direction of the
Franciscan fathers. The dedication of the
church took place in 1897. and If any re-
lance may be placed in tradition, 1t was
the occasion of the greatest fiesta the Santa
Cruz valley had ever witnessed.
The mission fourished for time but in
that period when the new world was busy
making it's history, there was but little OF
the work of the church that could escape
the ravages Of political revolutions and in
tr1gues. In 1927, the year Of Mexican inde-
pendence, the Franciscans were expelled
from the country. The mission of San
Xavier was then left without a resident
priest for number Of years, although oc-
casionally the parish priest of Magdalena
would visit the mission, but the great dis
tance and the danger from hostile Apaches
made these visits difficult and of necessity
lnfrequent. In 1859 the Right Rev. J. B.
Lamy, bishop of Santa Fe, sent his vicar
general. the Very Rev. ]. p Machebeuf,
into Arizona to make report. Father
Machebeuf found many of the old missions
in utter ruin, the church of San Xavier
del Bac being the only one which had not
suffered hopeless decay Even it's wonder
full beauty had been marred by the effects
Of long neglect although it's structural en-
durance remained practically unfmpaired
Leakage, however, had injured it's vaults,
frescoes and arches, and in order to pre-
vent further damage he had coat Of NOR
tar applied to the entire outside surface,
Father Machebeuf- returned to Santa Fe
and made his report to his bishop who
subsequently sent priest to take perlna-
nent charge of the mission. The mission
is now attended by the priests Of the cathe-
dral at Tucson.
Moorish Architecture.
The church belongs to the Moorish style
The first thing to be noticed is the atrium,
little inciosure sixty-six by thirty-three
feet, which separates the church from the
plaza, and which was used for secular
ueStluBS Ou the IdCauS IS placed, In low
relief. the coat-of-a arms of the order of st.
Francis Of Assist. 1t consists of an escut-
cheon. with a white ground filled in with
twisted cord, and cross on which are
nailed one arm of our Savior and one of St.
Francis, representing the union Of the dis
ciple with the divine Master in charity and
the love Of suffering. The arm of our Lord
Is bare. while that of st. Francis is covered
The facade was formerly surmounted by a
life size statue of st. Francis, but this has
been destroyed by time.
The church, which is built Of stone and
brick, Is 1O5 by q feet inside the walls
Its form Is that Of cross, the transept
forming on each side Of the nave a chapel
twenty-one feet square. The church has
only one nave, which is divided into six
portions, marked by as many arches, each
one resting on two pillars set against the
walls. Above the transept is cupola of
about fifty feet In elevation, the remainder
Of the vaults in the church being only
about thirty feet high. Going from the
frCnt door to the main altar there is, on
the right hand side wall fresco repre-
senting the coming of the Holy Ghost upon
the disciples. Opposite it is the picture,
also In fresco, of the Last Supper Both
paintings measure nine by five feet.
In the first chapel to the right are two
affairs, one facing the nave with the image
Of Our Lady OF Sorrows standing at the