This weekend I went with friends to the “white dove of the desert,” a national historic landmark here in Arizona called San Xavier Mission. Unbelievably, this Catholic mission was founded in 1692 (the same year of the famous Salem witch trials).
The church is filled with marvelous original statues and mural paintings. Interestingly, the mission underwent restoration that was only half complete when state funding was cut in 2010. You may notice one of the towers white and crisp while the other tower shows years of decay. Attempts at restoration in the 50’s with plaster is actually speeding up the rate of decay and locals fear the structure may begin to crumble.
I hope you enjoy a snapshot of this unique and restful place.
peace, jacque
festivesol.com 
One of my greatest blessings in the Air Force was spending time in TX, AZ, and CA and touring the old Spanish missions. I was at San Xavier in 1995. Did you hike the hill beside the mission to see the shrines? There’s just something magical about the southwest….