You'll find the name "Kino" all across Southern Arizona.
There's the Kino Sports Complex and Kino Parkway here in Tucson, and Kino statues from Tucson to Nogales.
They all pay tribute to one of the most important figures in the area in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
His name was Eusebio Francisco Kino, a missionary who first came to the region in 1691.
"This man, not only came, bringing European contact with the natives here," Father Greg Adolf said. "But he did it in a way that bridged cultures. He did it in a way that made peace."
Father Adolf, of Saint Andrews Catholic Church in Sierra Vista, is an expert on Padre Kino. He is a member of the Kino Heritage Society, and a historian for the Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
Father Adolf said Padre Kino, born in the wine country of Northern Italy, grew up to be a Jesuit Priest and missionary.
Kino ventured to Sonora, Mexico, in the late 17th Century to bring Catholicism to the native people.
"They didn't come for the gold or the glory, they came for God," Father Adolf said. "They came to bring the gospel to new lands, to new people."
Kino was also an explorer and cartographer.
"As a scientist and map maker, he was the one who mapped the area," Father Adolf said. "He put us on the map, literally."
Padre Kino helped establish more than 20 missions in what is now Northern Sonora and Southern Arizona.
"He had an extraordinary gift of connecting with people and befriending people," Father Adolf said. "He was well received, very well received by the natives living here."
Kino established a mission at Tumacácori in 1691, and San Xavier Del Bac in 1692.
The mission church we know today at San Xavier was actually constructed more than 100 years later by Spanish Franciscans.
Padre Kino is credited with introducing agriculture and livestock to the region.
"Anytime you have carne asada or a quesadilla, you're paying homage to Padre Kino," Father Adolf said. "He brought in the cattle, wheat, the dairy farming. All of that came in, changed the food culture and the culture of the area."
Father Adolf is quick to point out, Padre Kino emphasized a respectful approach to the native communities.
"But he did it in a way that bridged cultures. He did in a way that made peace among peoples," he added.
Father Adolf points to our diverse community in the Tucson area today as proof Padre Kino is still having an impact.
"I think it's a direct legacy of Kino's ability to bring people together," he said.
Most of what we know about Padre Kino came from his own writings.
"He was a prolific writer and we're very fortunate that we have his writings and his observations about what he found here and the interactions that he had," Father Adolf said.
Padre Kino is often referred to as the Apostle of Arizona, the Padre on horseback, even the Patron Saint of the Borderlands.
In reality, he is moving towards sainthood.
After his remains were found in 1966, in the city of Magdalena de Kino in Sonora, Mexico, there has been an effort to canonize Padre Kino.
"He's shared by Italy, the United States and Mexico," Father Adolf said. "And that shared sense is that this is someone who really blazed trails in so many ways."
That led to Pope Francis, in 2020, elevating Padre Kino to "Venerable" status.
"So, the next step would be blessed, and then the next step would be Saint," Father Adolf said.
"In most people's minds, particularly the Native Americans, he's already that saint, our own, and someone who is a model for how we can live our lives."
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
