Mission Nombre de Dios Museum
Cross above the city of St. Augustine, Florida, USA
While in St. Augustine we highly suggest your students visit the Mission Nombre de Dios Museum, the Spanish Catholic Mission on the west side of Matanzas Bay.
The Mission is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine and holds the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche as well as several other small shrines and statues. The grounds are covered with lush greenery and trees, and you will also find the Great Cross here, a massive stainless steel cross constructed in 1965. The cross commemorates the 400th anniversary of the 1st parish Catholic Mass.
The chapel on site is dedicated to Our Lady of La Leche, a shrine which houses the exquisitely carved statue of Mother Mary nursing Baby Jesus. Many people travel here to pray for mothers and mothers to be. Learn more about this within the museum, as well as facts about the city's founding, the teaching of Christianity, and missionary efforts from 1565 to today. Inside the museum, you can also see the original casket of Pedro Menendez, who was the man to land on this very site in 1565 and proclaim it for Spain. His goal was to bring the Christian Faith to the native peoples, something he did with an incredibly long-lasting legacy.
