Padre Kino, declared venerable, known as 'patron saint of borderlands' (CNS)

Father Eusebio Kino (1645-1711), a Jesuit missionary whom Pope Francis recently declared venerable, founded San Xavier del Bac and other missions in Arizona and Mexico. “The history of the Catholic Church in Arizona is synonymous with the growth and history of the State of Arizona, and Padre Kino is one of the foundational figures in that great history,” said Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix.