Antigone Books

A wonder of art and architecture, the Mission San Xavier del Bac evokes reverent awe. While the dramatic baroque art, bold colors, and elaborate, often gold-and silver-gilt decorations inside the church are philosophically distant from the simple lifestyle of many saints whose likenesses stand within it, the indescribable splendor of this church has long served to lift the spirits of those who behold it. For the new Christians of the village Wa:k in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, its paintings also helped illustrate Bible and church stories they were learning.

Over time this magnificent structure and its artwork suffered from neglect, the ravages of the elements, and a lack of resources. Like us, it needed loving care to stay healthy and to endure. In this book, Edna San Miguel both narrates and brings to life with her own brilliant paintings the story of how men and women –from Father Kino and later missionaries, to artisans, artists, and conservators--envisioned, adorned, and then saved this treasure from decline, restoring its beauty, its dignity, and its many roles in the culture fabric of the Sonoran Desert.