Mission Accomplished: Tumacacori Nat'l Historical Park 3/4/11

For reasons unknown, Tumacacori National Historical Park beckoned like nothing else on our recent visit to the Grand Canyon State. Odd indeed, given that the site features nothing by way of the usual sun baked landscapes, but rather the ruins of a 19th century mission whose construction began in 1800 and, despite fits and starts, was never fully completed. We are not the type to be awed into reverential silence by religious imagery or architecture, but pictures of Tumacacori have always possessed a quiet beauty, as if a once bustling symbol of Spanish domination and conversion had been hastily abandoned and left to die in the cruel heat of the desert. It seems fitting, too, that this tool of oppression fell victim to revolution, war, and poverty, given that few could defend Christianity's legacy regarding the native peoples of the early Americas. Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, deemed the "founding father" of the mission despite never having been a resident priest, would not have been satisfied with Tumacacori's ultimate end, but perhaps he might approve of its resurrection via the National Park Service.

Driving within earshot of Nogales for the second time in as many years, we once again righted a wrong and, instead of sailing by obliviously, pulled off the highway for our long-delayed date with this humble mission. I'll admit to a giddy excitement as we ambled into the visitor center, as it seemed that of all the "skips" from 2009, this one hurt the most. We were here at last, and couldn't wait to get inside. The visitor center (built in 1937), though small, opens onto a charming patio garden, along with a small room housing what has been described as one of the most bizarre videos in the entire NPS system. As usual, it went unwatched, largely because we had to catch the ranger before he moved too far along on his tour. Blue hairs swarmed to his side, but we still decided not to wait until the next run. Before the tour, though, is that first glimpse of the ruins. Though relatively small and far from grand (compared to the San Xavier mission up the road, of course), it retains a charm unmatched by the more ostentatious odes to the Almighty. Perhaps it's the unfinished bell tower (the dome was never built), or even the surrounding wall that isolates the site from any outside intrusions, but whatever it is, Tumacacori is ultimately most successful in transporting visitors to a specific time and place and giving modern eyes an insight into life as it was once lived.

Once inside, it's not hard to imagine a service from centuries past, and despite reinforcements to the roof, the walls retain the wear and tear of time's ultimate cruelty. Because the site is only around 200 years old, the modern touches are a stark contrast to the usual ruins we encounter, which flirt with a millennium of existence. To the park service's credit, there is neither celebration nor damnation here, avoiding the predictable rants about Catholicism and Native Americans in favor of mere presentation. Religious men lived here, attempted, and often succeeded, at conversion, and then, in a historical flash, were gone. Missionaries remain, as do the churches and landmarks that testify to their faith, but here, in land that once belonged to Spain (then Mexico) until the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, is a symbol of failure. It's as if it stands as a reminder that the proud and the powerful always, in the end, meet the same fate as the most common and humble.

Upon leaving the main structure, one can see other, less dramatic buildings preserved by the NPS, some of which are reproductions and "filler." There's a reconstructed O'odham abode, cemetery, morturary chapel, lime kiln, and convento (priests' quarters), and though they pale in comparison to the church itself, they help fill out the park with a sense of community. People once lived and worked here, and though committed to a cause considerably sinister to these eyes, we can appreciate any devotion that required living and dying in such a remote desert outpost. There's a reassuring calm to Tumacacori that so many sites - even good ones - lack, and we left pleased with the fulfillment of a goal. As if to add an unexpected cherry to our day, the site's museum was shockingly decent, succeeding where so many fail. Others can learn from its insistence on explanation and updated materials, much as we all can learn from Tumacacori's rise and inevitable fall.

FINAL RATING

9/10