Hi All,
After a few days of work we drove to Tucson for some sightseeing. First stop was San Xavier Mission, a beautiful church built by the Franciscans from 1783-1797. The church is on the Tohono O'Odham reservation and most of the parishioners are Native American.
In 1797 they ran out if money and never completed the right hand bell tower.
The carved statues and gilt work above the alter us beautiful.
This O'Odham symbol is a man in a maze. It represents all of the choices people have in life and assures a good outcome if the right choices are made
This is the first Native American to become a Saint just last week. The canonization of Katherine Tekakwitha , a Canadian Sioux, was a really big deal in this community.
The church interior was restored in the late 90's. Three experts from Rome, veterans of the Sistine Chapel restoration came to Arizona to train local craftsmen. Note the dark rectangle in the upper left. This is known as a "witness mark", an unrestored spot to show what it had been like prior to restoration.
It is a beautiful mission from any angle. This is also the church where the statues from Tumacacori were stored from 1848 until 1973.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
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