Tucsonβs own would-be saint, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, is still in the first phase of a journey toward canonization.
Right now, Padre Kino is considered a βServant of God,β meaning the Roman Catholic Church has begun investigating the possibility of sainthood.
The Kino Heritage Society, a Tucson organization dedicated to the legacy of Father Kino, hopes to soon see him approved for the title of βVenerableβ β the next step in the process. That progression follows the approval of a collection of documents about Kinoβs life by church leaders in Rome and the Pope.
Rosie Garcia, president of the Kino Heritage Society, said the group believes the Positio, or documents summarizing Kinoβs life and evidence of sainthood, should soon go before the Pope.
A founding board member of the society, Mark OβHare, believes Kino could be the patron saint of borderlands.
The process to canonize Kino has been in the works since the 1960s, starting in Hermosillo, Sonora.
βI donβt know if Iβm going to see it in my lifetime, but we know that the written work has been completed, and weβre hoping that he becomes venerable and then beatified and then canonized,β Garcia said.
For beatification, one miracle must be attributed to Kino. Canonization requires two miracles. But the Pope can waive the miracle requirement, OβHare said.
βWeβre hoping since Pope Francis is a Jesuit and Father Kino is a Jesuit, heβll look at the Positio and say, βYes, he is worthy of sainthood,ββ Garcia said. βAfter all, he is the one who brought evangelization to PimerΓa Alta and established 20-something missions in the area.β
Kino is credited with bringing Christianity to northern Sonora and Southern Arizona and opening 21 missions in the region in the late 1600s and early 1700s. He famously cultivated peaceful relationships with the American Indians living here and introduced cattle and new crops.
