Declare 2025 year of Father Kino in Baja California Sur, Mexico

The Mexican State of Baja California Sur declared 2025 as the “year of Father Francisco Eusebio Kino”, in honor of the evangelizing priest in Mexico and the United States, “in recognition of his historical, ecclesiastical, artistic and cultural legacy in the average peninsula.”

The proposal was approved by the Culture and Arts Commission in the State Congress on March 25, at the initiative of Deputy Fabrizio del Castillo, within the framework of the 380th anniversary of the birth of Father Francisco Eusebio Kino.

According to organ communication Informative of the Congress, the deputy explained that this distinction is because Kino is “one of the founding parents of what is our state today and that he paid so much to our culture and idiosyncrasy.”

He also stressed that the distinction aims to pay tribute to his work, since “he worked and fought for the population of our then territory, ciming our Sudcalifornian culture.” In addition, he pointed out that he went to “evangelize and also took advantage of the fact that those who lived here, and today we celebrated that it can be recognized.”

As part of the recognition, the legend “Year of Father Francisco Eusebio Kino” will be incorporated into all official documents issued by public authorities, autonomous bodies and municipalities of Baja California Sur. This measure will be in force until December 31, 2025 with the purpose of promoting its legacy.

Who was Father Kino?

Fr. Eusebio Francesco Chini, better known as Father Kino, was an Italian priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), in addition to geographer, explorer, cartographer and astronomer. He stood out as an important missionary who evangelized northwest of Mexico, remaining around six years in Baja California before moving to Sonora and south of Arizona (United States) during the seventeenth century.

In an interview with ACI Press, Fr. Luis Valdes Castellanos, Jesuit priest and researcher of the life of Father Kino, explained that one of his greatest contributions to history was that “he discovered that Baja California was a peninsula and not an island.” In addition, said, Father Kino “elaborated vocabularies of indigenous languages ​​and formed and educated many indigenous communities in an integral way,” he added, among other achievements.

However, he stressed that “with his contributions he made visible the kingdom of God in that region.” In the ecclesiastical field, he pointed out that “evangelized and baptized millions of indigenous people and showed them that Jesus Christ is a treasure and changes life for good.”

He is recognized for having been “a merciful face of the Church.” In addition to their work in livestock, he taught the indigenous people to read, write and learn catechism, also promoting reconciliation between tribes. He understood that “evangelization should be integral, covering the economic, social and religious.”