Urban Adventure: Finding a oasis in the desert

The soaring towers and Spanish mission style architecture of St. Mary’s Basilica first caught my eye as we walked to the Diamondback’s game on Thursday evening. The white-washed walls and crisp lines refuse to be dwarfed by the surrounding office towers of glass and steel.

Armed with a camera, sunglasses, and a bottle of water, I set out to discover St. Mary’s on Saturday morning.

The first church, a simple adobe structure, was built on the site in 1881. The present structure, dubbed a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II, was completed in 1915.

The interior is dark and cool, illuminated by large 19^th-century style ornate stained glass windows, including two stained glass skylights, one of them a dome.

Larger-than-life icons stand watch in the nave as one worshipper prays silently in the last row while a visitor lights a candle for the new nephew she learned today is on the way.

The hand of the dying Jesus icon is surrounded by photographs, letters and trinkets. In the hand is a personal plea.

Outside, between the basilica and the pastoral center, sits a well-groomed courtyard and fountain.

Across the street from the gold-domed pastoral center, the mission style architecture of the ASU Mercado is accented with a nod to the Mayan in the form of a large limestone serpent’s head.

South of the ASU Mercado is the Arizona Science Center and Heritage Square, featuring the Victorian Rosson House and the Stevens House, home to the quirky Arizona Doll and Toy Museum.

It was just a short walk back to the Arizona Center for some shade, shopping and Mexican food. On the way, I found myself making use of every scrap of shade I could find, even the tiny shadow of a street sign as I waited to cross the street.

Palm trees are not the thickly foliaged live oaks and pecans I am used to at home. Instead of providing large pools of shade, they merely filter the light. However, the designers of the Arizona Center seemed to have discovered that if you plant enough palm trees close enough together, you can get some shade.

One palm-lined walkway into the cool refuge of the Arizona Center reminds me of Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. I make my way down the steps, over the creek, and into the splash pad in the middle of the plaza. As I cool my feet in the bubbling water, I can hear the carillon of St. Mary’s announcing the hour.

Rebecca Bennett
Bastrop High School
Bastrop, Texas