From his arrival in the Pimería Alta in 1687 until his death in 1711, Padre Kino established over twenty missions. The Jesuit missionaries administered them until the time of their expulsion in 1767. From 1768 until after Mexico got her independence in 1821 the missions were operated by the Franciscan missionaries. Some are still in use today while others have fallen into ruin.
When Father Kino first came north to the Opatería, his last jumping off point before moving up the valley to establish his home mission of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Cósari, was the already established mission to the Opata Indians called Los Santos Reyes de Cucurpe.