Art of San Xavier 'Gift of Angels'

It was a pretty hefty undertaking, too.

Author Bernard "Bunny" Fontana and photographer Edward McCain devoted years of their lives - Fontana 10 and McCain three plus some change - to the book, which details in words and color photos a comprehensive look at the mission and its extensive art.

When conservators arrived in 1992 and spent the next five years restoring the mission's interior art, Fontana was there, watching and reporting on their work in the church bulletin. It was then that he began some initial research.

"I realized that neither they nor anyone else knew a lot about what they were conserving," says Fontana, 79, a writer, historian and educator who is considered the leading expert on San Xavier.

Fontana, whose background is in anthropology, spent hours at the University of Arizona library, poring over art history books. He wanted to create a catalog of the mission's art that went beyond the superficial details.

"It's universal - it's really the history of Christian art and Christian belief is reflected in that art," he said.

For the images, McCain, 53, used a digital camera but primarily relied upon a large-format Horseman, which shoots 4-inch-by-5-inch images, and Nikkor lenses. One daunting challenge was getting enough light into the dark mission to shoot it properly.

"It soaks up light like no other building I've ever seen," said McCain. "It takes a lot of light to make it photograph well. That was the biggest key - pumping enough light into that place. You literally see it - no pun intended - in a new light, an idealized version, my version of idealized lighting for the mission."

San Xavier is a special place to both men. McCain had photographed some of the restoration work, and his mother - who died just before he began work on the book - loved the spot and especially Christmastime visits. McCain and his wife, Rosemary, married there.

Fontana has lived a mile from the mission southwest of Tucson since 1956. His three children were baptized and then married there. The funerals of his oldest son and his wife were held at San Xavier, and Fontana regularly attends Mass there.

"It's Tucson's biggest park bench," Fontana said. "I have a vivid image in my mind - there was a couple in the pew right ahead of me. They came separately - one of them was a kind of blue-haired lady from the Foothills who drove up in a Lexus or something. She was in the pew right next to a Mexicano guy wearing a tank top and his arms were tattooed from his shoulders to his wrist, looking like someone you wouldn't want to run into in the back alley.

"There comes that point in the Mass where everyone holds hands and everybody's equal. It doesn't matter your race, status, gender, everybody comes together as one. There's probably no other congregation, at least in Tucson, that's as cosmopolitan as that one. You talk about diversity, it's there every Sunday."

Here, more about "A Gift of Angels," in Fontana's and McCain's own words.

Fontana, on his favorite art: "The painting of the Last Supper is extra dramatic because there's a devil's head in it, and that's pretty unusual. If you put a flashlight on the picture in the book, you can see it better. You can see the red eyes and red lips down in the lower right-hand side. . . . There's another wonderful painting in there of Mary diapering the Christ child. It's based on a painting by a 17th-century artist by the name of Murillo. It's called 'La Virgin de la Faja,' the virgin of the girdle. We wouldn't use the word 'girdle' - we'd use 'diaper.' His little hand is raised in a benediction, sort of like he's saying, 'Thank you, Mama.' . . . It's wonderfully warm and human. It certainly humanizes Christ."

McCain, on his favorite photo: "The picture that's on the back cover (a depiction of the Immaculate Conception). To me, there's an emotional connection. It's very beautiful. It just almost seems like the statue comes alive. I think my favorite work is the work from the statuary because those, they were challenging but they were so beautiful and have such character. They have a particular story or epiphany that they were revealing, a spiritual awakening that they represented."

McCain, on the importance of teamwork: "We had to go out and basically had to ask people to help us fund (the book). I just put together a big spread sheet and figured out what it would cost. . . . I think the scaffolding bill alone was $70,000 or $80,000.

"The Tucson community around the mission really supported us. We're just so fortunate. It wasn't like we singlehandedly did this, two people; it was dozens."

McCain, on the challenges of shooting on scaffolding that climbed as high as 40 feet: "We were moving hundreds of pounds of lighting equipment up and down. . . . The setups were very lengthy. Then everyone had to be still, so they didn't vibrate the scaffolding so the camera wouldn't shake. Everyone had to sit and practically stop breathing for a while. It was a lot of work - physically a lot of work and mentally, too."

Fontana, on the final product: "I must say the end result is worth it. I had some idea of what it would look like - I'd seen the page proofs. When I saw the book, I thought, 'Wow. I really did it.' What I'm hoping is it'll awaken other people that we have a real treasure here that transcends place."

On StarNet: For more photos, go to azstarnet.com/ gallery

Book launch is Saturday at mission

"A Gift of Angels: The Art of Mission San Xavier del Bac" publication party

• When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday.

• Where: Mission San Xavier del Bac, 1950 W. San Xavier Road.

• What: The program includes music, refreshments and comments from Fontana and McCain. Free and open to the public.

• Info: For more details, contact Holly Schaffer at 621-3920 or hollys@uapress.arizona.edu

Christmas Concerts at San Xavier

The fundraiser supports the restoration and preservation of the mission. The concerts feature the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and the Sons of Orpheus.

• When: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 7-9 at the mission.

• Cost: $90 each, $70 of which is tax-deductible.

• For more info: Call Vern Lamplot at 407-6130 or e-mail patronatoSX@earthlink.net

Contact reporter Kristen Cook at kcook@azstarnet.com or 573-4194.