White Dove in the Desert

Located virtually in the middle of the desert on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation, lies a great white building. As your driving on 1-19 towards Nogales you can see the “White Dove of the Desert” sticking out like a sore thumb.

This spectacular sight is Mission San Xavier del Bac, Arizona’s oldest European structure that continues to remain untouched.


The Mission is located on 1950 W. San Xavier Road and is almost a small city itself. You can find the church and next to it a self-guided museum as well as a gift shop. Next door is the San Xavier Mission School and the San Xavier Plaza which includes gift shops and a café.

I took a trip to the Mission about a week ago and did not know what to expect. Not being a religious person, I was a bit skeptical; but I will tell you, I definitely surprised myself.

As I entered, I felt the aura of the church almost immediately. The first thing that caught my eye was the intricate detail of the murals and paintings all over the walls. I could not believe this landscaping was from the 1700’s. There are also several statues of St. Francis and illuminated candles throughout the inside.


While I was there, about 20 people were inside the church. I could tell about half of them were tourists and the other half were regulars who came to pray daily. About 200,000 people visit the Mission yearly.

There is a lot of history behind Mission San Xavier del Bac dating back to the late 1600’s. In 1700, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino designated the site of the Mission, which is located about two miles north of where it is today. He named the mission in honor of the patron St. Francis Xavier.

When you are in the church you will see statues of St. Francis Xavier everywhere. The most notable statue is a replica body of the patron covered by a blanket. On top of the blanket are pictures and letters, even hospital identification wrist bands, in memory of loved ones. People place these items on St. Francis in hope their prayers and wishes will come true.


According to the church, several people have had their prayers granted. If you click here, you can make a prayer to Saint Francis. Once you submit it, the prayer will be placed on the Saint.

It does not matter if you are a religious person or not; you must visit this National Historic Landmark whether you want to observe the Spanish Colonial architecture, light a candle or leave a prayer for St. Francis.

Click here to see my soundslide of the Mission.