SAN XAVIER, DESERT SHRINE

San Xavier-- Desert Shrine Remote---she stands Midst desert sands, The Beautiful San Xavier!

AN XAVIER, desert shrine nine miles south of Tucson, the noblest example of pure mission architecture, still remains the haven of devout Indians, ancestors of those who aided in building its priceless completeness. Great was the inspiration, dauntless the courage in creating this, the finest of all missions-an achievement in great part, written in blood, but confronting at all times countless hardships, depredations, and rebuffs.

When Kino, Jesuit padre, who had bound his life to the conversion of the Indians, was induced to visit Bac with the thought of establishing a mission there, he must have realized the obstacles before him in territory infested with warring tribes.

Tales of Bac's importance, its green fields, crops in abundance, together with the insistent desire for Christianity perhaps over-shadowed any thought of personal sacrifice. In 1692, the kindly Kino came up from Mexico on his first of more than forty visits to Bac.

During the several years that lapsed before his second visit, he pondered the idea of establishing a mission there. Reports of continued prosperity of this important settlement, and the continued desire for a mission, caused Father Kino to heed the Indian call, and during the year 1700, he founded a mission there. It was named San Xavier, in honor of the great Jesuit, beloved friend and inspiration to Kino.

An old ruin was thought to have served as the first church until a suitable structure could be erected. Surely the first was an humble one though in his diary, Kino speaks of a rather large church at that time.

Peace and contentment reigned for about fifty years and great progress was made. Then the Pima nation rebelled and plundered the mission, forcing the inhabitants to flee. This brought about the establishment of a presidio at Tubac, twenty miles distant, for the protection of Bac and other frontier posts.

Peace was again restored and a few years later the inhabitants returned, though their number had been greatly depleted, from over twelve hundred to nearly three hundred. Backed by soldiery, the Jesuits again took charge of the mission until they were expelled by Royal order from Spain in 1767. The Jesuits left for Mexico and exile.

The following year, the order of Franciscians was ordered to take over the mission. Padre Garces was assigned to Bac. During the same year while Garces They sick at a nearby vista, the warring Apaches swooped down, plundered and destroyed San Xavier.

This was a staggering blow, but the courage of the padres and the faith of the peaceful Indians was not to be denied. Just when the building of the present structure was begun seems lost to history. Perhaps the Jesuits had played a part in its beginning. At least the Jesuit name San Xavier has ever graced its title. Just when the present magnificent structure was finished is also questionable though the date 1797, carved on the door of the Sacristy, is thought by many to be the year of completion.

An oddity concerning San Xavier's structure is the one unfinished bell tower. A famous artisan was employed to erect these towers and is said to have fallen from the unfinished section, death resulting. No one could be found to complete it. This report is believed quite authentic, although there is the supposition that, in early days all unfinished structures being tax-free, was the reason for the unfinished tower.

"In San Xavier, a symbolism which (Continued on Pege 32)