Today, Father Steve expounds upon his recent experiences in Tucson at the mission church of San Xavier del Bac and the Vatican Observatory, incorporating a reflection on John Henry Newman's process of "real assent" as it applies to these two important locations.
I returned this past Friday from Tucson Arizona where our crew filmed at sites that will be featured in the
CATHOLICISM series. The production of the series is now nearing its completion with only sites in the Chicago area remaining to be filmed. After all the grand places and international locales that have previously been the focus of our crew's attention, the Tucson trip might be seen as somewhat anti-climatic. Of course this perception is mistaken. We experienced some rare gems of the Church's cultural treasury in Tucson...
Father Barron and Father Steve are in Tucson, Arizona, this week, filming for the
Catholicism Series. They are visiting the beautiful
San Xavier del Bac Mission as well as the
Vatican Observatory outside of Tucson.
The San Xavier del Bac Mission is an Arizona landmark and an important part of the early presence of the Catholic Church in the southeastern United States. The Mission, according to its
website, "was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church's interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th Century space. The church retains its original purpose of ministering to the religious needs of its parishioners." For a beautiful and in-depth description of the San Xavier del Bac Mission and the experience of visiting this Catholic landmark, view a fascinating article from InsideCatholic.com by clicking
here.
In addition, the crew will be visiting one of the
Vatican Observatory's telescopes at the University of Arizona. Many people find it surprising that the Vatican studies the universe, wondering what faith has to do with science. But the Church confidently studies the universe with the faith that the Logos (intelligibility) is found throughout all of creation. Without this faith in the intelligibility of the universe, science could not operate. Fr. Barron's visit to the observatory demonstrates the Catholic embrace of Faith and Reason and the interdependence of the two....