Mission San Xavier del Bac
San Xavier del Bac | |
| Location | near Tucson, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°06′25″N 111°00′29″W / 32.107°N 111.008°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión San Xavier del Bac |
| English translation | The Mission of Saint Xavier of the Water |
| Patron | Saint Francis Xavier, SJ |
| Nickname(s) | "The White Dove of the Desert" |
| Founding date | 1692 (current structure dates to 1783–1797) |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, SJ |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) | Tohono O'odhamans Yaqui |
| Governing body | San Xavier Indian Reservation |
| Current use | Parish Church |
| Designated | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference no. | 66000191 |
| Designated | October 9, 1960 |
Mission San Xavier del Bac (Spanish: La Misión de San Xavier del Bac) is a historic Spanish Catholic mission about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O'odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation. The mission was founded in 1692 by Eusebio Kino in the center of a centuries-old settlement of the Sobaipuri O'odham, a branch of the Akimel or River O'odham located along the banks of the Santa Cruz River. The mission was named for Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Jesuit Order in Europe. The original church was built to the north of the later Franciscan church and was demolished during an Apache raid in 1770.
The mission was rebuilt between 1783 and 1797, which makes it the oldest European structure in Arizona. Labor was provided by the O'odham. An outstanding example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States, the Mission San Xavier del Bac hosts some 200,000 visitors each year. It is a well-known pilgrimage site, with thousands visiting each year on foot and on horseback, some among ceremonial cavalcades or cabalgatas.
The site is also known as "Wa:k" in the O'odham language (O'odham: Wa:k ("Water Place") referring to its surface water and springs, which no longer flow. The water in the Santa Cruz River came up to the surface a few miles south of Martinez Hill and then submerged again near Los Reales Wash. The Santa Cruz River used to run year-round in this section and was once critical to the community's survival, but now runs only part of the year.