DeGrazia’s Mission in the Sun
“The Mission in the Sun is a place for remembering. A place in which to begin to believe.” – DeGrazia
The Mission in the Sun was the first building DeGrazia constructed on the property, and was completed in 1952. The Mission was built in memory of Padre Eusebio Kino, a Jesuit priest, and dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Following his own building plans, DeGrazia and his friends carefully handcrafted the adobe constructed building. In 2006, the Mission in the Sun was registered as a National Historic landmark.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Altar
At the altar, a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe welcomes visitors where they often place photos, candles and mementos. The ceiling of the mission opens to the sky and the walls showcase what remains of DeGrazia’s hand-painted frescoes after a devastating fire in 2017.
“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.” – DeGrazia