Yesterday Mary and I visited this mission located about 9 miles from our current parking location and also about 9 miles from downtown Tucson, Arizona. It is also known as the White Dove of the Desert.
From their brochure…
Some 200,000 visitors come each year from all over the world to view what is widely considered to be the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States.The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church’s interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th Century space. The church retains its original purpose of ministering to the religious needs of its parishioners.
To read about the mission, you may click this link…
Under terrible photography conditions…harsh sunlight on a bright white structure and dimly lit interiors…we nonetheless ventured forth. Here are some of the photos that I took…
As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…
To see the other 71 photos that I took, click this link…
https://picasaweb.google.com/110455945462646142273/SanXavierDelBacMission
I’ve been in many missions in Mexico and the United States. This mission is likely in the best conditions I’ve seen. That’s because of the major restoration starting in 1989 and finishing in 1997. During our 2.5 hour visit we watched a 25 minute video describing this painstaking renovation process. The mission is the first historic building of its kind to be entirely cared for and preserved by its parishioners. It was indeed a most pleasant visit during which time a number of local families where having their newborn babies baptized.
All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
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