Private Guided Tour - San Xavier del Bac Mission

Approximately 1.5+ hours · Limited to 12 Members · Members only, no guests*

We have a rare opportunity coming up. My friend Margaret, who knows San Xavier del Bac Mission inside and out, has generously offered to lead our group on a private tour. Margaret normally charges for her tours, but she is offering this one free of charge as a personal favor to me. Her knowledge goes far beyond the guidebooks. She shares stories, details, and background that most visitors never hear, and her deep care for the Mission and its community comes through in everything she tells you.
Because this is a personal favor, space is strictly limited.

About the Mission
Known as the "White Dove of the Desert," San Xavier del Bac was founded in 1692 by Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who traveled widely across the region to spread Catholicism and foster peace among Indigenous communities. The church we see today was begun in 1783, when Southern Arizona was still part of New Spain, through a partnership between Franciscan missionary Fr. Juan Bautista Velderrain and contributions from Sonoran ranchers, under the direction of architect Ignacio Gaona. Completed in 1797, it is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona and one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the country. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

A Living Church on the Tohono O'odham Nation
San Xavier is not a museum. It sits on the Tohono O'odham Nation (the "Desert People") and still serves its original purpose: it is the parish church for the village of Wa:k in the San Xavier District, nurturing faith alongside O'odham Himdag, the O'odham Way of Life. The name "Bac" comes from Wa:k, often translated as "where the water gathers." As guests on Nation land, we'll be visiting an active place of worship and a community's spiritual home, so respectful behavior and dress are appreciated.
Highlights We'll See

• The interior: Nearly every surface is covered in original 18th-century paintings, carved and gilded statues, and painted details, earning it the nickname "the Sistine Chapel of the Southwest."
• The restoration story: Beginning in the 1990s, international conservators worked alongside Tohono O'odham community members, who trained in the work and carried it forward.
• The ornate façade: Look closely for the famous carved cat and mouse, and ask Margaret about the legend attached to them.
• The unfinished east tower: Its missing dome has inspired several competing stories about why it was never completed.
• The reclining St. Francis Xavier: A beloved figure that visitors approach in devotion, often leaving prayers, photographs, and milagros.
• Grotto Hill: A short walk to a shrine with sweeping views of the Mission and the surrounding desert.

Margaret has a wealth of knowledge about the Tohono O'odham people as well. Ask her about her the other tours she hosts, they are extremely engaging!