Part 2

The high altar is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. A figure of the saint occupies a central niche above the altar table. Around it are carved cherubs and arabesques. Still higher is a brilliantly painted figure of the Holy Virgin. On each side of this central motif the corners of the octagonal apse are lined with elaborately carved and gilded columns and between them the niched figures of St. Peter and St. Paul. Surmounting the altar is the figure of God the Creator. The domed ceiling of the apse is embellished with a shell—a motif frequently used in the decoration of the church. The side walls of the apse are painted with colorful frescoes: _The Adoration of the Wise Men_ and _The Flight Into Egypt_ (right wall) and the _Adoration of the Shepherds_ and the _Annunciation_ (left wall).

A small door in the right wall of the apse leads into the Sacristy, a high square domical chamber containing the sacred vessels and reliquaries. The delicate floral decorations on the sacristy ceiling are especially notable. On the north wall is the _Crucifixion_, the largest and best preserved of any of the frescoes in the church. A small door in the east wall gives access to the arched cloisters of the patio.

In the east transept is the Epistle Chapel containing, like the Gospel Chapel on the left, two altars—the large altar at the end, dedicated to the Mother of Sorrows, containing a statue of Mary, clothed in a bridal gown donated by an Indian girl in appreciation of an answered prayer. Imbedded in the wall above is an antique wooden cross which formerly bore a “life-size” statue of the crucifixion, though nothing remains now but one arm. It is thought the statue was carried away by vandals. The altar at the left is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

A high canopied hand-carved pulpit of rich dark pine, fastened with wooden pegs, stands against the transept pier at the right of the Epistle Chapel. Octagonal in shape and raised on a slender shaft-like pedestal, it is a notable example of skillful craftsmanship in woodcarving. The pulpit platform is approached by a narrow railed flight of steps.

Entrance to the finished tower is through the Baptistry. This room is groin-vaulted and handsomely ornamented. A fresco of the _Baptism of Christ_ completely covers one of the walls. The baptismal font in the center of the room with its hand-hammered copper bowl, bears the inscription “IHS,” three letters of the name Jesus in the Greek language. This is one of the sacred fixtures that was taken from the original Kino church and placed in the present building.

A narrow stairway built into the thick walls leads to the choir vestry. The choir loft is adjacent. The walls of the choir loft are covered with frescoes of the _Holy Family_, the _Home at Nazareth_, _St. Francis in a Heavenly Chariot_, and _St. Dominic Receiving the Rosary from the Holy Virgin_. A door opposite that of the choir vestry gives access to the other tower. The old doors in the church still have their original heavy iron hinges, locks and latches. They are designed with heavy stiles and rails, enclosing small panels, and are relatively low and narrow.

The belfry of the finished tower, reached through a tunnel-like stairway from the choir vestry, is enclosed by a parapet with molded balustrades. Only three of the original four bells remain. It is thought that one of the three, accounted the best, is the “lost chime” from the San Juan Bautista mission of California, which was cast by a Peruvian who died without divulging the secret of his process. The inscription: “S. Jvan Bavtjsta,” is quite clear. Just how it came to be lost by the California mission however, if it came from there, remains a mystery.

Flights of stairs lead on upward to the cupola, which culminates in a domical vault. There is a splendid panorama of the valley from this point. In earlier days the cupola was perhaps used as a lookout to warn against Apache attacks. Here one may look down upon the domed surface of the roof which was painted in imitation of tile, and examine the detail of the elaborate roof parapet with its slender posts and finials and graceful wall curved in scalloped loops between them. The finials are flanked by carved Castilian lion heads.

The dormitory wing constructed of adobe has been greatly altered. Early drawings indicated that the windows and doors were originally arched. Especially notable is the roof over the dormitory and adjoining loggia. Except for the outer covering of tile its structure has never been disturbed. It is supported on heavy beams of mesquite timber and, as was the general custom, the beams were covered with stalks of ocotillo, leaves and reeds, the cracks then filled with soft adobe, the whole finally forming a solidly reinforced roof. The north wing of the dormitory, although entirely new, harmonizes with the earlier structure.

Engineers are working to bring back into line the massive walls of the mission and plan to reinforce the dome and portions of the fine facade which have recently fallen away.

Secret processes used in painting the murals are being utilized in restoring the walls of the structure. This process, recently discovered through research at the Smithsonian Institution, solves a problem artists have been attempting for years to achieve through the use of oil paint. The root of the ocotillo plant supplies the red. The pulpy sap of the saguaro (giant) cactus gives the blue. Brown and yellow are made from the first layer of skin under the bark of the palo verde tree, and green comes from sage leaves while mesquite beans make the thick black. The degree of boiling gives the shades desired.

The preservation of San Xavier del Bac is a worthy gesture in enabling increasing thousands to see intact this magnificent example of early mission architecture.

Bibliography

Bancroft, Hubert Howe. _History of Arizona and New Mexico._ San Francisco, The History Company, 1889. Vol. 17 of his _History of the Pacific States of North America_.

Bolton, Herbert Eugene. _Kino’s Historical Memoir of Pimería Alta._ Cleveland, Arthur H. Clark Company, 1919. 2 v.

——, _Rim of Christendom_. New York, Macmillan, 1936.

——, _Padre on Horseback_. San Francisco, Sonora Press, 1932.

Bonaventure, Father, O.F.M. _Mission San Xavier del Bac._ Topawa, Ariz., Franciscan Fathers of Arizona, San Solano Missions.

Duell, Prent. _Mission Architecture Exemplified in San Xavier del Bac._ Tucson, Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society, 1919.

Engelhardt, Father Zephyrin. _The Franciscans in Arizona._ Harbor Springs, Mich., Holy Childhood Indian School, 1899.

Hallenbeck, Cleve. _Spanish Missions of the Old Southwest._ New York, Doubleday, Page & Company, 1926.

Hinton, R. J. _Handbook to Arizona._ New York, Payot, Upham & Company, 1878.

Lockwood, Frank C. _With Padre Kino on the Trail._ Tucson, University of Arizona, 1934.

Lummis, Charles F. _The Spanish Pioneers._ Chicago, A. C. McClurg & Company, 1914.

Lutrell, Estelle. _The Mission of San Xavier del Bac._ Tucson, Acme Press, 1934.

Newcomb, Rexford. _Spanish-Colonial Architecture in the United States._ New York, J. J. Augustin, 1937.

Willys, Rufus Kay. _Pioneer Padre._ Dallas, Southwest Press, 1935.

Illustrations

Transcriber’s Notes

--Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.

--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.

--Moved some captions closer to the corresponding pictures, removing extraneous spatial references like “(next page)”.

--In the text versions, delimited italicized text by _underscores_.