Guevavi Mission - exterior - National Parks Gallery

Guevavi is a name derived from the O'odham word for big spring, ge'e vavi, or big well, gu waihe. This settlement of O'odham people was first visited in January 1691 by Catholic Jesuit Fathers Kino and Salvatierra. They established it as a mission, naming it San Gabriel de Guevavi. Subsequent missionaries called it San Rafael and San Miguel, resulting in the common historical name of Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.
In 1701, Guevavi was established as a district headquarters and received its first resident priest. A small church was started that same year. Fathers Agustín de Campos and Luis Xavier Velarde visited occasionally after that. Father Grazhoffer, in 1732, reestablished Guevavi as cabecera and completed the church. Unfortunately, he died the following year - possibly of poison. Father Garrucho, resident priest from 1745 to 1751, recorded 148 burials, many from disease. In 1751, Father Garrucho contracted the building of a 15 foot by 50 foot church, the ruins of which still exist today.