Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson (must see)

Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Tucson on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation. Named in 1692 by Padre Eusebio Kino for a pioneering Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order), the Mission is also known as the "place where the water appears," as there were once natural springs in the area. The Santa Cruz River which now runs only part of the year is also nearby.

The Mission is situated in the center of a centuries-old Indian settlement of the Tohono O'odham (formerly known as Papago), located along the banks of the Santa Cruz River. The Mission is a pilgrimage site with thousands of pilgrims who visit the church each year many of them walking or riding on horseback cabalgatas.

Today, the Mission is open to the public daily, except when it is being used for church services. Extensive restoration efforts in the late 20th century have restored the interior to its historic splendor. Among the many legends surrounding the building is a popular myth suggesting that early taxation laws exempted buildings under construction, so the builders chose to leave one dome unfinished.

Another legend is that the second tower is being left unfinished until the "Excellent Builder" will come to direct its completion. The Mission has acted as a community center for the Tohono O'odham for almost two centuries. In 1895, a school was opened and a grant of $1,000 was given to repair the building. More classrooms were added in 1900 and, in 1947, a new school was built next to the church for the Tohono O'odham children.