About Tucson, Arizona:
Tucson is of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the U.S., with Native American (Hohokam and O’odham) presence dating back over 4,000 years. In 1690, Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Jesuit missionary from Italy, arrived here in the Sonoran Desert in what would late become Tucson to establish the foundation of the Catholic Church in the area.
As they did elsewhere, the missionaries established missions which offered a way to evangelize and also protect the community from marauders. Through the 1700s, Spanish missionaries tried to get the Native Americans to convert to Catholicism and a Spanish lifestyle. The Spanish built a fort at Tubac in 1751. It was moved to Tucson in 1775 where Hugo O’Conor, an Irishman working for the Spanish crown, officially founded Presidio San Augustin del Tucson.
The Spanish stayed in the area, fighting down repeated attacks on the fort by Apache warriors. The city of Tucson was founded on August 20, 1775. In 1821, Tucson became part of the new state of Sonora in Mexico, which had won independence from Spain. In 1853, Tucson, along with much of the surrounding area, was purchased from Mexico by the United States in the Gadsden Purchase and was made part of the New Mexico Territory.
Today, with population estimates of approximately 548,000 (and over 1 million in the metropolitan area), Tucson is the second-largest city in Arizona (after Phoenix) and the county seat of Pima County in the southern part of the state.
Catholic places of interest in Tucson, Arizona:
Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine
Traveling to Tucson, Arizona:
Tucson is About 108 miles (174 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (97 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border, in the Sonoran Desert.
By air: Tucson International Airport (TUS) is served by several major airlines. These carriers connect Tucson to major U.S. cities, international hubs, and seasonal destinations.
By train: Tucson is served by Amtrak’s Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited trains, with the main station located at 400 N Toole Ave, offering direct connections to major cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, and New Orleans. The historic depot, built in 1907 and restored in 2004, features indoor seating, restrooms, accessible platforms, and wheelchair assistance.
400 North Toole Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701-1899