A Tohono O’odham family integrates Catholic and Native beliefs in the Arizona desert

A Tohono O’odham family integrates Catholic and Native beliefs in the Arizona desert

The history of encounters between Catholicism and Native spirituality has often been marred by violence and oppression

The Rev. Aro Varnabas, left, prays as he leads the St. John the Baptist’s feast day Mass, with Maria Francisco, right, in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)