Mission Nombre De Dios

Our Lady of La Leche Chapel & Shrine

The Rustic Alter where Father Lopez broke bread
with the new Mission.

A monument to Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, with
the 208 foot cross in the background

A site that predates Castillo de San Marco, the Spanish Mission, Nombre De Dios is where the famous conquistador, Pedro Menendez, first set foot in La Florida to make the settlement of St. Augustine. His landfall is marked with a giant, 208 foot cross on the premises of the Mission. Further traversing on "America's most sacred acre" will find you near a moat near the mouth of the river where they stage reenactments of the first landing in St. Augustine by Pedro Menendez. This is done daily to demonstrate the importance of that event to the city and the Mission. Also on the premises, is a cemetery that dates back to the 1800's. There you can find many followers of the church as well as some soldiers from the civil war that passed on. Near the cemetery you can find a gift shop and a small museum. Within the small museum you can find artifacts from the early days of the Mission. These items include, catholic items, colonial tools and the original coffin of Pedro Menendez. Past the museum and gift shop lies the Chapel and Shrine of Our Lady Leche. The current shine is the fourth reconstruction of the building. The chapel in the past has fallen victim to war, pirates and harsh storms. Here at this shine, the followers were devoted to Our Lady Leche, or the divine motherhood of Mary. People who came to the chapel were in great hopes for a happy and healthy motherhood. Next we have the Rustic Altar, this sacred item is where Father Lopez held a feast in celebration of the founding of the new Mission. At that feast were Pedro Menendez, the colonists, the soldiers and the Timucuan Natives. As it is often overlooked, Mission Nombre de Dios is one of the most important historical landmarks in Florida. Without it, who knows where we would be? I personally think Florida would be much different than it is today, purely because our entire state is rooted in the Native and Spanish heritage that this state was founded in.