Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche - St. Augustine, Florida

 (Photo/www.missionandshrine.org)

Destination: Spanish settlers in the New World began their devotion to Our Lady of La Leche (The Milk) at St. Augustine’s Mission of Nombre de Dios (Name of God) in the 1560s. It is on the site of the first parish Mass celebrated in what is now the United States, on Sept. 8, 1565, the feast of the Nativity of Mary.
Today, it is a popular site for expectant mothers to pray for healthy babies and couples to pray for children.
Regular Mass is not offered at the shrine, but check the Diocese of St. Augustine website (www.dosafl.com) for nearby churches.
Why to go: Eric P. Johnson, director of the shrine, knows the power of this place and its history, according to an article in St. Anthony Messenger. The historic Mass there in 1565 marked St. Augustine as the birthplace of Christianity in America, not only for Catholics but for Christians of all denominations.
“This is where the Gospel was preached to the native people for the first time,” Johnson explains.
The shrine is also known as a place, according to the article, where the sorrowful also come to pray.
“They come seeking solace and forgiveness,” says Johnson, in the article. “This place offers an incredible sense of peace and an atmosphere of prayer. It allows the small but significant miracles to take place in the heart and the spirit.”
There are several other smaller shrines on the grounds, including one for Our Lady of Guadalupe and one for Lady of Perpetual Help. Prince of Peace Church is also on the grounds.
The site has also been researched by archeologists from the University of Florida, who have discovered a moat from a 16th century Spanish fort on shrine grounds.
Access: Depending on where you go on the grounds, there are some stairs to manuever.
Amenities: The shrine gift shop is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The shrine offers a good place for a quiet walk with children who may have been in a car too long.
Info: Address: Shrine of Our Lady of Leche, 27 Ocean Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 904/824-2809 or 800/342-6529. Web: www.missionandshrine.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine - St. Augustine, Florida

(Photos courtesy of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine)

Destination: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, “America’s First Parish,” is the oldest Catholic parish in the United States.
Masses at the cathedral are at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 5 p.m. Saturday; 7, 9, 11 a.m. and  5 p.m. Sunday.
Why to go: Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés’ expedition from Spain landed in what would become Florida on Aug. 28, 1565. The day he spotted that first land, which is now Cape Canaveral, was the feast of St. Augustine. He decided to name his first settlement after the saint.
Menéndez and his crew sailed further along the coast, eventually stopping in early September at a site called Mission Nombre de Dios (above, left), which is where Father López de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first Mass of the new settlement. Today’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine (above, right) is down the street from the site of the first Mass.
In 1586, the English, led by Sir Francis Drake, burned the settlement and the church. By 1786, the Spanish again controlled the area, and the crown ordered a new parish church for St. Augustine be built. The cornerstone was laid in 1793 and the church completed in August 1797.
After an 1887 fire, started in a nearby hotel, damaged the church, the pastor made a nationwide appeal for help in rebuilding. At that time, the church was enlarged and a bell tower added.
A nearby chapel, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, is the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S.
Special events: At 5:30 p.m. on the Fridays of Lent, the parish hosts a soup supper at the Bishop Baker Center. Stations of the Cross follow.
On March 5 at 6 p.m., the cathedral’s First Friday Art Walk Concert series will feature sopranos Cara and Catie Hutson and Ellen Marini.
Amenities: The Cathedral Bell Tower Gift Shop is located inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and to the left. It is closed during any liturgy, but is otherwise open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10-11 a.m. and noon-5 p.m.
Access: Parking is restricted in several areas around the parish. Check the Web site for details.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The cathedral is a working parish with a school attached, so children are more than welcome.
Info: Address: Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, 35 Treasury St., St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 904/824-2806. Web: www.thefirstparish.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org