Mission Nombre de Dios - 3/07/14

On this site on September 8, 1565, Pedro Menendez landed with a band of settlers to found St. Augustine.Father Francisco Lopez (Spanish priest) offered here the first parish Mass in the United States (even before the missions in the Southwest).  The Spanish pioneers named the landing site Nombre De Dios (Name of God) in honor of their faith. This marked the beginning of missionary work in the 16th century by Spanish priests, Jesuits, and Franciscans from Miami to the Chesapeake Bay and west to Pensacola.

This place is so serene and beautiful, we both really enjoyed the visit. There were many other statues and shrines throughout the site. Bonus was that it was free and dog-friendly.  Don't miss this spot if you visit St. Augustine.  It is near old town and the fort.

In the early 1600s, the Spanish settlers established the first shrine to the blessed Virgin Mary in the US.  Many chapels have been built and rebuilt on the site with the current one reconstructed in 1915.  

Father Lopez statue in front of the Great Cross (208' tall).  You can see the cross from all over St. Augustine during both day and night.

Rustic Altar overlooking Intracoastal Waterway.