Inside Arizona's Timeless 1797 Mission Where Enduring Quiet Beauty Continues to Captivate Travelers

A carved stone cat has been chasing a carved stone mouse across one Arizona church front for more than 200 years. Neither one has made any progress. That playful detail sits on a bright white mission rising out of the Sonoran Desert. One of its two bell towers never got a finished top. It still welcomes worshippers every day, and nobody charges you a cent to walk inside. I like how the outside stays calm and simple. Then the doors open onto walls covered in painted saints, carved statues, and co