MEXICO, 1987, 3rd centenary of Kino's exploration of the Pimeria Alta, Scott 1474

Kino combined his missionary and educational outreach to the natives with extensive exploration and cartography. By walking from New Mexico to the Pacific coast he discovered among other things that Baja California was not an island as was generally thought in Europe at the time. Interestingly two other Jesuits involved in this same discovery, Marcus Antonius Kappus and Ferdinand Konšcak, are also honored on stamps for precisely that reason. Arizona placed Kino's statue, one of two permitted to each state, in Statuary Hall of the Capitol. More - More

UNITED STATES, 1971, Historic Preservation issue, Scott 1443

Kino founded the San Xavier del Bac Mission, about 8 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, in 1692 and dedicated it to St. Francis Xavier, his patron and confrere in the Society of Jesus. "Bac" means "where a stream emerges." Kino laid the foundation for the original church in 1700, and a number of Jesuits followed him in ministering to the people there until Charles III expelled the Jesuits from his Spanish possessions in 1767. The church was then given to the Franciscans, but was destroyed by Indians shortly thereafter. Credit for the mission pictured on the stamp above must be given to the Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz who put up this magnificent mission in 1783 about two miles from its original location. More

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