PATRONATO SAN XAVIER is a non-sectarian, non-profit corporation that began in June, 1978. The corporation is "to be used solely and exclusively for historical, research, scientific and education purposes concerned with the restoration, maintenance and preservation of Mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, Arizona."

Patronato San Xavier grew out of the recognition that the fabric of this National Historic Landmark was badly in need of repair, refurbishing, and maintenance. The work was beyond the financial abilities, expertise, and vocation of the Franciscan friars responsible for administration of the daily affairs of the church, the heart of an active parish whose members are the Tohono O'odham (formerly Papago Indians) residents of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The Franciscans, who operate a parochial elementary school on the reservation, are understandably more concerned with people than with historic structures. Moreover, because Mission San Xavier is an active church, public funds could not be used in its care.

The Patronato's incorporators were a Tucson attorney and avid avocational historian, James M. Murphy, as well as the former director of the Arizona State Museum and head of the University of Arizona's Department of Anthropology, Emil W. Haury. Another was an attorney and archaeologist who had expertise in the conservation of prehistoric Hopi murals on the walls of kivas at Awatovi and Kawaika-a, Watson Smith. The others were Jane Ivancovich, a Tucson philanthropist and devotee of Mission San Xavier; Dianne Bret Harte, then an editorial assistant at the Arizona Historical Society; and Bernard L. Fontana who, at the time, was ethnologist in the Arizona State Museum. They and two Franciscan priests at Mission San Xavier del Bac, Father Kieran R. McCarty and Father Celestine Chinn, became the Patronato's first board of directors.

The Patronato operates entirely independently of the Roman Catholic Church. It cannot, however, do anything concerning the mission without the complete acquiescence of the church's administrators, the Franciscan friars, as well as the Bishop of the Diocese of Tucson. The Franciscan superior at Mission San Xavier and the Bishop of Tucson are non-voting members of the board in ex-officio status. The Patronato functions solely in a fund-raising and advisory capacity and uses its income and the knowledge of its board members to employ the persons responsible for repair, restoration, and maintenance of the church.

In an effort to document the need for conservation of San Xavier's art, in 1985 the Patronato commissioned a study by art conservators Gloria Giffords and Miguel Celorio, one that resulted in a detailed, wall-by-wall and vault-by-vault, "Report on the Condition of the Interior of Mission San Xavier del Bac." This document became the basis of a sustained effort to raise funds through foundation, corporate, and private donations or matching grants.

The report and fund-raising efforts came none too soon. In 1989 water seeped its way into the west wall of the church's sanctuary, and a conservation effort by the Patronato was begun in earnest.

In January, 1992, an international team of conservators began the consolidation, cleaning, removal of over-painting, repair, and presentation of the interior painted and sculptural art of Mission San Xavier del Bac.

The entire effort, through its conclusion in 1997, was organized and coordinated by Paul Schwartzbaum, conservator and head of conservation of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, and of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy. From 1976 until 1989 he had been chief conservator/restorer for the International Centre for Conservation, Rome (ICCROM). He was also a member of the Vatican’s international technical commission which oversaw and evaluated the conservation of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.

The on-site effort at San Xavier was supervised by Carlo Giantomassi and Donatella Zari of Rome, Italy, two of the world’s outstanding fresco and mosaic conservators and winners of the prestigious Premio Zanotti Bianco from Italia Nostra in 1976-77 for restoration of the Baglioni Chapel by Pinturicchio in Spello. Giantomassi, like Schwartzbaum, was also a member of the technical commission overseeing the Sistine Chapel project.

The other professional conservators who carried the San Xavier effort to completion over a five-year period, most with years of experience in countries all over the world, included Vincenzo Centanni (Italy), Svitlana Hluvko (England), Ridvan Isler (Turkey), Gabrielle Magni (Italy), Marco Pulieri (Italy), Silvia Reggiannini (Italy), Matilde Rubio (Spain), and Paola Zari (Italy). Technical analyses and recording were provided by Lorenzo Lazzarini (Italy), Ippolito Massari (Italy), Sally Ritts (United States), Edna San Miguel (United States), and Helga Teiwes (United States).

meet the board members