Father Francisco Lopez - St. Augustine, Florida
N 29° 54.252 W 081° 18.886
17R E 469611 N 3308211
Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales was the first parish priest of St. Augustine, America's oldest city, and thus the first parish priest of the country after landing at this site in 1565.
Waymark Code: WM5W1G
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/18/2009
Views: 19
Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Captain General of the Indies Fleet and Adelantado of Florida at the village of Seloy landed here on September 8, 1565 with Father Lopez as his fleet's chaplain. He proceeded to hand Father Lopez a cross and the first mass was held in the new land.
The statue of Father Lopez stands 11 feet tall and is set on fossilized coral from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the base is made of sturdy granite of a dark green hue.