Religious Figure. He was the founder of 27 missions in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona - Some one hundred years before Junipero Serra set foot in California and for 24 years, he baptized thousands of Indians, mapped the Sonora desert, started ranches introducing new crops and brought the first beef cattle to the area. Father Kino made 50 exploratory forays across the vast Sonoran desert by horseback giving him the nickname, "Padre on Horseback." His headquarters was located at Mission Dolores in Mexico. At the age of seventy three, he journeyed to the nearby village of Magdalena to dedicate a newly constructed chapel. Here he died and was buried in the church. Over the centuries the mission was lost along with his remains. In 1966, Mexican archeologists found Kino's skeleton in the town square of Magdalena. This amazing discovery prompted the town to raze all buildings in the area and construct a museum and mausoleum to house the bones. Mexican President Luis Escheverria dedicated the complex in the spring of 1970, transforming a sleepy village into a mecca for tourist and pilgrims. In 1977, Father Kino's remarkable life came alive with the release of the movie, "Padre on Horseback" starring Richard Egan, John Ireland and Caesar Romero.
Religious Figure. He was the founder of 27 missions in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona - Some one hundred years before Junipero Serra set foot in California and for 24 years, he baptized thousands of Indians, mapped the Sonora desert, started ranches introducing new crops and brought the first beef cattle to the area. Father Kino made 50 exploratory forays across the vast Sonoran desert by horseback giving him the nickname, "Padre on Horseback." His headquarters was located at Mission Dolores in Mexico. At the age of seventy three, he journeyed to the nearby village of Magdalena to dedicate a newly constructed chapel. Here he died and was buried in the church. Over the centuries the mission was lost along with his remains. In 1966, Mexican archeologists found Kino's skeleton in the town square of Magdalena. This amazing discovery prompted the town to raze all buildings in the area and construct a museum and mausoleum to house the bones. Mexican President Luis Escheverria dedicated the complex in the spring of 1970, transforming a sleepy village into a mecca for tourist and pilgrims. In 1977, Father Kino's remarkable life came alive with the release of the movie, "Padre on Horseback" starring Richard Egan, John Ireland and Caesar Romero.
Bio by: Paul S.
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