The Mission Trail, part 5

A few miles south of Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is another remnant of Spanish exploration of southern Arizona. It is called Tumacacori National Historical Park. It is pronounced "tomb-a-cock-a-ree." The mission was established in 1691 by Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Spanish missionary. To this day, he is still very well respected on both sides of the border. Many homes in Mexico have a painting of Kino hanging on the wall. He is also greatly admired by members of the Tohono O'odham tribe.
The establishment of Tumacacori later led to the establishment of Tubac Presidio
four and a half miles farther north. The presidio was built to protect the mission after several raids by Pima Indians. Initially, Tumacacori was managed by Jesuits, but, in 1767, King Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuits from areas under his control. After that, Franciscans took control of Spanish missionary efforts in the New World. In the early 1800s, Narciso Gutierrez began building the present structure to replace the modest structure that was built in 1757. Although Tumacacori was established as a mission in 1691, it did not have a dedicated church building until 1757. Various factors delayed construction of the present building, such as Mexico's war for independence from Spain that ended in 1821. After all
Spanish-born residents were forced to leave Mexico and then series of Apache raids
and the American war with Mexico in 1848, the continuous residency of Tumacacori that was established by Kino was severed.
Although Kino established the Tumacacori Mission, he was never a resident priest there, though he visited the place on many occasions. He established his headquarters 55 miles south, in what is now northern Mexico, at a mission called Nuestra Senora de los Dolores. Kino was 42 years old when he and three other Jesuit "black robes" were assigned to the Pimeria Alta in 1687. It was four years later that Tumacacori was established at Kino's direction. Its full name was
San Cayetano de Tumacacori, but when the first dedicated church building was completed in 1757, the name was changed to San Jose de Tumacacori.
Today, the Tumacacori Mission is still impressive, even though it is in a ruined state. Its gleaming white dome can be seen for miles and can easily be seen by travelers on Interstate 19 nearby. Most of the interior deterioration was caused by the fact that the building sat roofless for approximately sixty years. New roofs have been built several times over the years to protect it from further deterioration. The front of the church is absolutely amazing in the fact that is displays examples of Spanish, Moorish, Roman and Egyptian architectural influences. Even today, experts come from all over the country to admire the church's amazing architecture.
It is with this introduction that I will begin my tour of San Jose de Tumacacori Mission in the next edition of this blog.