Day 14 - San Xavier de Bac Mission

I was raised in a Catholic family. We went to church every Sunday. I was baptized, I had my first communion and confirmation. When I was in High School I went on a religious retreat with my cousin and for a short hiatus, I was a fervent believer. Later, as most good catholic young adults do, I succumbed to doubts. I saw on the news what ravaging effects a few fanatic religious men can do to a country, and repudiated the whole bit.
But lately, maybe because of life experiences, sometimes I get those feelings back. As I walk into the hall of a place of worship, I feel the warmth, protection, holiness, that feeling of being good inside, that feeling of sacred. Like when I would try to dissolve in my mouth the holy wafer from the communion without chewing. It was blessed and that was not to be done. Even though it was imposed, I felt guidance all through my formative years that gave me a moral compass, that probably kept me safe and away from troubles.
Now as an adult I am able to assert the worthiness without feeling uncool or naive.
But in Arizona, I feel I can go a step further. In this state, you really want to have fun with it. I really mean with the whole religion thing. You can get plenty of opportunities.
I might have gotten some inspirations from our good friends Ruth and Rich. There is a whole new aspect of the Catholic religion that I have never considered: the practicing of magic rites with saint prayers. I have seen books with formulas on how to properly pray to ...let's say... Saint Lucy and ask for healing from various illnesses. I promised myself to learn more about it. I bought laminated cards of Saint Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi with a prayer written in Spanish on the back (the English version did not seem to fit my purpose). I hung them in our trailer for protection on our long trip... hey you never know, we need protection.

So this morning I got excited when Ruth proposed to see the San Xavier Mission.
I was expecting to see a humble low baring white building, like I have seen in California, which is always a small disappointment as I come from Europe, where churches since the roman times are prominent buildings in a community.
As I parked our truck on the front esplanade, the view of the mission facade compelled me to review my concept of missions and their history.
San Xavier Mission stands on a large flat area with no other major buildings around, which overstates its presence, making it more prominent despite its size.

Original door 

The style is Mexican baroque, which is ornate but modest as its building materials. The baroque I have seen in Europe overwhelms you to submit to the religious power. In this case, it welcomes you as the angels in the altar that open the curtains on the statue of Mary and San Xavier.
I feel like I am in Mexico, but no it's Arizona. It is as worthy as any churches in Venice.
It was founded by an Italian Jesuit in 1692, Padre Eusebio Kino.
The current edifice was completed in 1797, with the will of the Franciscans and the labor of the O'odham natives.

It's rich and beautiful! Every detail has a story and a meaning.

The Franciscan rope is present and runs all through the walls ending at the altar with tassels.
Shells are displayed not just as an ornament but as a symbol of the Spanish faithfuls and the proof of their pilgrimage to the sea.
The statues of the four prophets are displayed on the four corners of the crossing of the nave and transepts, just like in my home town cathedral.

The facade columns pattern is repeated in the interior on the altar, but instead of four female saints, there are four male saints.
Symmetries are present everywhere in a maniacal manner. If on one wall there's a statue, there will be another one on the opposite wall. If there is a door, there will be one painted on the opposite side.
The transepts chapels are as rich as the altar. The chapel to the right has the original statue of Saint Mary, while the one to the left has the relic of Saint Xavier.

 

The statues wear real clothes and Saint Mary wears different ones according to the season.
The reason is not pagan, but due to the necessities. There were not enough materials to build an entire statue, since everything had to be carried from Mexico on a horse back.
Even the frames of the statues are made in wood and straw, and only the head and hands are in porcelain.

We took the tour and it was well worth it. We learned a lot and we enjoyed every detail. It was an awesome experience.