Santa Cruz Parish Bell Tower is made new, rings in good news daily

By Mary Lim 

Built in 1918, Santa Cruz Catholic Church is the oldest church on the south side of Tucson, and the third oldest church in town. At the time that it was built, it was considered to be just on the outskirts of the city; one hundred years later, as our little hometown has grown, Santa Cruz Catholic Church has come to be more a part of the central Tucson area, just as it has become a central part of Tucson’s history and personality. 

The 90-foot tower that stands on the corner of 6th Avenue and 22nd Street is one of the classic icons of our southwestern border home. The church and the tower together were designed and constructed under the guidance of Bishop Henry R. Granjon, the third Bishop of Tucson, and were completed in early 1918. Later that year, on November 11, 1918, Armistice Day, the treaty to end the first World War was signed. Bishop Granjon received this good news early that morning, ran down to the new Tower at Santa Cruz church, and rang the tower bell to announce the end of the war – this was the first time that the bell was rung.  

In over 100 years, the beautiful tower which announced the miraculous news of the end of the first World War hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint, and it was certainly in need of one. Pastor of Santa Cruz Reverend Stephen Watson, O.C.D., of the Carmelite Order, reported that it proved to be difficult to find someone to do the restoration of the tower, due in part to its size and the cost, but also because the job itself would require the temporary limiting of traffic on 6th Ave., and that just wasn’t something that many contractors were willing to do.  

At long last, the restoration was completed in June 2022, and it was well worth all the effort. With its gorgeous fresh coat of paint, its newly cleaned (free from pigeon droppings) bell tower, and a nifty yet simple upgrade designed to keep the pigeons away so as to protect the newly renovated tower, you would never guess that this iconic central Tucson landmark was over one hundred years old!  
Designed by Bishop Granjon himself, the architecture of the church and the tower were inspired by Granjon’s French roots, but also have generous nods to Spanish and Arabic architectural styles. The tower was constructed with brick, and the rest of the church was made of adobe, making it the largest adobe building in Southern Arizona. Santa Cruz church and tower are on the National Register of Historical Places. 

At the top of the 90-foot tower, the original bell remains. Just as its first job was to announce the good news of the end of World War I, today it continues to announce the good news of the celebration of the holy Mass every day. 

"I never tire of raising my eyes and looking at that tower,” says Santa Cruz Pastor, Father Stephen Watson, “you can see it when you are coming down 6th Avenue from Irvington, and you can see it from ‘A’ Mountain. It's 90 feet, and it is humble and simple. There is something of the charm of that tower... We ring the bell before all the masses." 

The restoration of the tower was the first major restoration to the outside of the Santa Cruz Parish buildings. Much of the outside of the church has been repainted, but the inside of the buildings and the century-old structural bones of the historic church are still in need of some revitalization. Fr. Stephen Watson plans to tend to the much needed upkeep of the buildings as finances allow – the parish is in need of more financial assistance in order to address the needed renovations. 

If you feel called to support Santa Cruz Parish and are able to donate to the church to help with their building and renovations, you can do so on their “My Sunday Offering” Paypal page on their website.