The Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine

Did you know The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine is considered the first Catholic church in America? On September 8th, 1565, Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first Mass on the grounds of the mission Nombre de Dios. The cathedral was built in 1797 and named for Saint Augustine of Hippo, in honor of his feast day being on the same day (August 28, 1565) that land was first sighted by Pedro Menendez de Aviles. However, Catholicism died out in Florida when the British took over Saint Augustine.  In 1784, Saint Augustine was returned to the Spanish by the British. With the return of the Spanish people,  Catholicism returned to St. Augustine and the construction of a cathedral was requested. 

   The Spanish completed a new church in 1797 in the Spanish style. However, if you've ever visited the Cathedral, you may have noticed there are many Irish items and statues inside. Irish priests Father Miguel O'Reilly and Father Thomas Hassett actually supervised the construction of the cathedral from 1793 to its completion in 1797. And (another fun fact), Saint Augustine was the location for the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Western Hemisphere. In the book, "The Cross in the Sand" it is noted that Father Ricardo Artur who arrived in Saint Augustine in 1597 was "the first Irish priest to serve in what is now the United States." 

Sadly, the cathedral would later need to be rebuilt in 1887, after being nearly destroyed by a fire. According to the Saint Augustine Record, the fire started in the middle of the night in the boiler room of the St. Augustine Hotel, which stood on the north side of Cathedral Place. The fire quickly spread and soon traveled to the roof of the cathedral. It collapsed onto the interior, but thankfully all the walls of the cathedral remained. James Renwick, the architect who designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, assisted with the reconstruction of the cathedral and helped to "modernize" it. He expanded the structure to the north and added east and west wings to the church. He also added transepts to create a cruciform church. The bell tower, a beautiful feature of the cathedral, was one of Renwick's ideas. This modernization of the church was also assisted by notable industrial figure, Henry Flagler. 

     The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine is open to visitors daily. If you find yourself in Saint Augustine I highly recommend adding this to your to-do list. Or if you just like to endlessly research history like me, there are many books and websites that can tell you even more about this brilliant cathedral.

Photography of the Basilica