Posted by In the land of the saguaro lies a handmade adobe chapel of great charm…built by Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia with the help of his native American friends to honor the memory of Jesuit priest Eusebio Kino and dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The cross soaring upward in the open air roof, the door, and the window shades all constructed from the woody ribs of the saguaro. The stone floor is cool in the desert sun. Wall paintings and offerings to the dear departed cover the front of the alter and tell small tales of love and loss. It’s a moving, quiet place.
The remarkable saguaro adds resonance to the building. Raised by ‘nurse trees’ that provide shade and protection in their early years, the first ‘arm’ doesn’t appear until the plant is 70 years old, and they live to be 150. What are the stories behind the saguaro DeGrazia used in his mission? And what of Padre Kino, the priest DeGrazia sought to memorialize in warm adobe? His legacy as a missionary who cared deeply for the people he served speaks to common themes this prolific artist returned to again and again. As DeGrazia said about his mission:
“I built the mission for myself. I’m not a churchgoing man but I am a religious man and perhaps religious only within me. Religion to me is right or wrong. You do right and you’re a religious man. It’s not Catholic it’s just an old chapel for anybody who wants to go in there whether Christian or non-Christian.”
This perfect small mission indeed feels like its doing and done right. Stop in and see for yourself. (Jen)
