By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
The Great Cross on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine marks the spot where Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles first landed, founding the first permanent European settlement, city and parish in the continental U.S.
Photographer: COURTESY | Brandon Duncan
St. Augustine Bishop Felipe Estevez, left, and Father Sal Di Fazio, pose with the relic of St. Augustine of Hippo after it arrived at the diocesan offices June 25.
ST. AUGUSTINE | The city and diocese of St. Augustine are marking a number of firsts this year, and the festivities include a five-day celebration from Sept. 4 to 8, at various locations throughout downtown St. Augustine.
Not only is St. Augustine the first permanent European settlement and city in the continental United States:
- It is also the site of the first permanent Catholic parish.
- The famed Santa Fe Trail originated here. It was from St. Augustine that Franciscan missionaries began their trek north and west to proclaim the Gospel message.
- It was here that the first schools and hospitals in the U.S. were opened.And Our Lady of La Leche Shrine at Mission Nombre de Dios is the oldest Marian devotion in the country.
The Diocese of St. Augustine and the city of St. Augustine have worked collaboratively to commemorate the founding of this historic Spanish settlement and the early beginnings of the Catholic faith in this country.
On Saturday, Sept. 5, Bishop Felipe J. Estévez will celebrate a Mass in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the official feast day is Sept. 8, but due to this year’s Founder’s Day, he is celebrating the feast on Saturday. The 11 a.m. Mass will be at the outdoor Rustic Altar at Mission Nombre de Dios, 27 Ocean Avenue. The public is invited to attend. There will be no re-enactment other than the one planned for Founder’s Day on Sept. 8 this year.
On Founder’s Day, Sept. 8, the diocese will host the following events:
- 9 a.m. – Historical re-enactment of the landing of St. Augustine’s Founder Pedro Menéndez, Mission Nombre de Dios, 27 Ocean Avenue. Those attending include Catholic hierarchy from throughout the country, state and local government officials. A souvenir booklet will be given out to the first 3,000 guests to arrive.
- 10 a.m. – Grand Procession to the Cathedral Basilica with the Bishop John Snyder High School Band from Jacksonville leading the way. The procession will begin after the re-enactment. Cardinal Sean O’Malley – special envoy for Pope Francis, Bishop Estévez and other dignitaries will ride in front in horse-drawn carriages. The public is invited to join the procession.
- 11 a.m. — Mass of Thanksgiving with Cardinal O’Malley, as the principal celebrant at the Cathedral Basilica, 38 Cathedral Place. Due to limited seating, the Mass is by invitation only. A Jumbotron screen will be set up in the west courtyard of the cathedral for the public to view the Mass, and Communion will be distributed. Seating also will be available at Flagler Auditorium to view the Mass on television monitors inside with air conditioning. There will be more than 20 bishops attending, clergy from through Florida and Savannah, women religious, state and local government officials, faith leaders from other denominations, and representatives of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, among others.
- 2:30 p.m. — news conference with Cardinal O’Malley, Bishop Estévez and Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo García Ibáñez of Santiago de Cuba. The news conference will be held at the Treasury on the Plaza.
- 5:30 p.m. — Solemn Vespers (Evening Prayer) with Cardinal O’Malley as the principal celebrant at the Cathedral Basilica, 38 Cathedral Place. Open to the public.
In June, after more than four years of planning and coordination with officials in Italy and at the Vatican, the Diocese of St. Augustine acquired a first-class relic of our patron saint, Augustine of Hippo. It is on loan to the diocese for the 450th anniversary celebration.
The public is invited to attend “Wednesdays with Augustine” in August and September at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica. There will be time for veneration of the relic, a teaching about St. Augustine and intercessory prayer.
For more details on any of these events, email [email protected] or call 904-262-1705.
HOW IT BEGAN
St. Augustine was founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés for Spain 450 years ago, on Sept. 8, 1565. The Spaniards named their new home St. Augustine in honor of the saint on whose feast day (August 28) they sighted land.
According to historian Michael Gannon, distinguished service professor emeritus of history at the University of Florida, Menendez’s expedition, “made a landing somewhere in the vicinity of the site where Mission Nombre de Dios (Name of God) stands today. Accompanying him were 500 soldiers, 200 sailors, four parish priests and 100 civilian settlers.”
Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales was one of those priests. He celebrated the first Mass of Thanksgiving and is the first pastor of our country’s pioneer city.
