San Xavier Mission Del Bac
San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.
The mission is located on a Indian reservation. On the weekend of our visit the Wa:k Pow Wow was going on. We walked around and took a few pictures.
Felix Lucero Park: Garden of Gethsemane
The artist-sculptor, Felix Lucero (1895-1951), was born in Trinidad, Colorado. In World War I, he lay critically injured on a forgotten battlefield. He vowed to God and to himself that if he survived, he would dedicate the remainder of his life to the sculpturing of religious statues for which he had a natural talent. After 20 years of this pious work in various parts of the country, he arrived in Tucson in 1938.
The statues are all made of concrete, sand, and debris recovered from the Santa Cruz River. The work, started in 1945, continues to survive the ravages of time, floods, and many acts of vandalism. The Garden of Gethsemane was first moved in 1971 for construction of the Congress Street bridge. The current facility was constructed in 1982.
Wow, that’s gorgeous! I love to see the traditional architecture and art – beautiful! We hope you and Ed are enjoying your journey – miss you guys!