The pictures above are worth a thousand words (from me). I recently enjoyed an art show at this renovated Bates Mansion, which is a fabulous place downtown. It’s at the old Mountain Oyster Club locale, on the SW corner of Stone Avenue and Franklin. Enjoy this fiesta!

Last night I attended the preview opening of a special exhibit “Our Padre on Horseback” honoring the 300th anniversary of the death of Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, S.J. (1645 to 1711), at the Diocese of Tucson Archives at 300 S. Tucson Blvd. The exhibit itself depicts 16 of the 24 missions that Padre Kino founded, with photos, maps, drawings and several lovely Ted DeGrazia reprints. Last night Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Father Chris Corbally spoke of the work of Padre Kino and the Kino Heritage Society. Father Corbally aptly said that Kino “used all his knowledge and survival skills to bring people to God”. Padre Kino is remembered as a “Missionary & Explorer, Friend of Native Peoples, Founder of 24 missions, Scientist & Map maker, Candidate for Sainthood, and Arizona’s First Cattleman.”

This exhibit will run through May 30, 2011, hours of operation M, T, TH, F from 9 to 4 p.m., phone 520-886-5201. (The archives bldg. is at the south end of this property shared with St. Ambrose Parish & School.)

Additional upcoming weekend events to mark the 300th anniversary of Padre Kino’s death, which was on March 15, 1711:

Concerts in honor of Padre Kino by Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra– Sat. March 12, 7:30 p.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral, and Sunday March 13, 3 p.m. Catalina Foothills H.S. Auditorium (4300 E. Sunrise Dr.), $20 admission for each.

Memorial Mass on Sunday March 13, 12 noon, St. Augustine Cathedral, Diocese of Tucson Celebrates Padre Kino’s Life, 192 S. Stone Avenue.

Tucson Festival of Books, Sunday March 13, 4 p.m. University of Arizona Student Union, Catalina Room, “The Trail of Arizona’s First Cowboy & Missionary Explorer” by a panel of authors(Ben Clevenger, Deni Seymour, Jacqueline Soule). Free event.

For more details & events, log onto Kino Heritage Society website, www.padrekino.com. And for my earlier blog on Padre Kino & the Kino Heritage Society click here.

From Kino Heritage Society website:

Kino Mission Concert Series

artwork of Padre Kino, from their website

Mission San Agustin

“Christmas in the Southwest” and “Misa Criolla” by Ariel Ramirez

Tucson Masterworks Chorale

Christopher B. Thomas, Guest Director

Date: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010

Time: 7:00 pm

Place: St. Augustine’s Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, Arizona

General: $15, Seniors/students $12, children free if accompanied by an adult.

Notes: Concert commemorating Padre Kino’s Tucson Entrada in November 1692 and the founding of the Mission San. Agustin. Read about Padre Kino’s first journey to Tucson in a featured article by Kino Heritage Society’s Secretary Raul E. Ramirez at Kino Legacy (click here).

For more information on the concert: Tucson Masterworks Chorale, Phone: (520)730-5640 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (520)730-5640      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
“The concert will begin with Mexican baroque, the likely music that Padre Kino heard when he first arrived in Mexico City. It will move on to include music set to Pima Indian texts, since Padre Kino worked closely with the Native Americans. A beautiful collection of “Carols and Lullabies – Christmas in the Southwest”, accompanied by harp, guitar, and marimba, will close the first half of the concert. The second half will be devoted to the exciting work, Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez.”

Reception to follow at San Augustine Cathedral Parish Hall.

My prevous blog on the Kino lecture & other events leadng up to the 300th anniversary of Padre Kino’s death in 2011 (click here.)

St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Tucson