San Xavier del Bac
San Xavier del Bac mission near Tucson, Arizona is a beautiful example of Spanish mission architecture and was built as a Jesuit mission in 1783-1797. It was named after Francis Xavier who was a co-founder of the Jesuit order in Europe. At one point in the church’s history, Charles III banned the Jesuits from the mission and turned it over to the Franciscans. This old mission has been called the Sistine Chapel of the West, although that “label” has been criticized by some as being “overblown”. It is the oldest European structure in Arizona, having been constructed after the original building was destroyed. The O’odam provided the labor for the building of the newer church, and it is still an active catholic church today. Most of the interior and exterior is original, however some major renovations have had to be done over the years because of water damage. The interior painting had to be painstakingly restored in 1978 due to water seepage into the walls. Earlier on, repairs wer