Servant of God
Fr. Eusebio Kino, SJ
Aug. 10, 1645: Born in Segno, Italy
Nov. 20, 1665: Entered Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
June 12, 1677: Ordained a priest
1692: Established San Xavier de Blac, the first Catholic mission in Arizona
Marcy 15, 1711: Passed into eternal life
May 4, 2006: Positio delivered to Rome, making him a Servant of God
Italian Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Kino first introduced Christianity to Arizona when he established San Xavier del Bac Mission in Upper Pimeria, just south of present-day Tucson in 1700. He eventually established 24 missions in what is now Arizona, California and Sonora, Mexico.
“Padre Kino,” as he was known, also introduced European seeds, fruits, herbs and grains for the Native Americans to use, and he taught them to raise cattle, sheep and goats — he’s also considered Arizona’s first rancher.
He died in 1711 in present-day Sonora.
A statue of Padre Kino represents Arizona in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, one of four Catholic priests represented in the hall, the others being St. Junípero Serra representing California; St. Damien de Veuster (Damien of Molokai), representing Hawai’i; and Jesuit Father Jacques Marquette, representing Wisconsin.
The Diocese of Tucson, along with the Archdiocese of Hermosillo, Sonora, and the Archdiocese of Trent, Italy (where he was born) are all involved in his canonization process. The positio on Padre Kino’s life was delivered to Rome in 2006, making him a “Servant of God.”
Although there are no official feast days for Servants of God, March 15 is the date that Padre Kino passed into eternal life.
He is the patron of the diocese’s Kino Catechetical Institute and “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign, as well as the patron of the Kino Border Initiative (KBI).
Eighth Annual Kino Border Initiative Dinner
March 3, Reception at 5 p.m., Dinner at 6:30
Brophy College Preparatory Harper Great Hall, 4701 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
