Scottsdale Mission Features

Interesting Mission Features

The Old Adobe Mission was built as the original parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) by a community rich in passion, spirit, and faith. Its members poured their hearts and souls into its building.

Today, it is with a similar passion that the community comes together again to preserve the Old Adobe Mission as an important piece of Scottsdale's architectural and spiritual history.

Our Goals

• Through the support from the community and winter visitors from around the world, the following goals have been set
  
• Obtain historical artifacts, photos, and documents to showcase the Mission history
  
• Increase the docent volunteer pool so the Mission can remain open to the public
  
• Continue activities to maintain and restore the Mission for future generations to enjoy
  

Points of Interest

1. Confessionals: The confessionals were restored to their original 1933 design by Eagle Scout Kevin Donaldson in April 2010

2. Blue Slate: Although the original floor was dirt, some blue slate brought from Mummy Mountain was laid around the perimeter and the center aisle. Remains of the blue slate floor can be seen under the choir loft stairwell

3. Stained-Glass Window: Bérnabe Herrera used discarded glass obtained by Father James Davis during the renovation of the St. Augustine's Cathedral in Tucson to create a total of 15 stained-glass panes for the Mission

4. Sacristy:

1. The mosaic was created and donated by Clare Boothe Luce in 195
   
2. The scrim was used during the Miracle of the Roses play when it was held at Scottsdale High School
   
3. Miracle of the Roses Parade and play photographs
   
4. The Virgin of Guadalupe canvas was used in the Miracle of the Roses parade in the 1950s
   
5. The vestment cabinet built in 2011 by Eagle Scout Aiden Leaser holds vestments and artifacts of Msgr. Eugene Maguire, OLPH's second pastor

5. Statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe: After an extensive fund raising campaign, a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was acquired by the Paiute neighborhood Hispanic community in 2006. The statue remained in the community until 2019 when it was placed in the Old Adobe Mission where it is now visible and available for greater blessings to all who visit the Mission.

6. Stations of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross are not the original stations; they are prints by Ted De Grazia's Way of the Cross canvases, which were created for the Newman Catholic Student Center in Tucson in 1965. Traditionally, there are 14 stations; however, De Grazia felt it necessary to have 15 and is quoted to say, "I never thought the cycle would be completed unless we had the 15th station where Jesus arises in glory."

7. Pews: The current pews, which are very similar to the original pews, were donated by the Diocese of Phoenix in 2007 from the Santa Rosa Chapel in Phoenix

8. Altar Area: The portion of the altar depicting the Last Supper was donated to the Mission in the mid-1940s by All Saints Church in Tucson. The high altar retablos and side altars were designed as replicas of the 1940s altar by California artist David Imlay and installed in September 2017

9. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Statue: The statue was created in Guadalajara, Mexico, and donated to the Mission by the Dominguez family in the early 1950s

10. Gallery: The gallery displays of photos and artifacts of significance to the Mission. A video of the history and restoration of the Mission is also located here