Espiritu Santo Church - Site of Early Spanish Missionary Efforts
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 28° 00.670 W 082° 41.126
17R E 334287 N 3099584
Located east the entrance to the church at Enterprise Road and FL 590 (Philippe Parkway), Safety Harbor
Waymark Code: WM13R1H
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/06/2021
Views: 2
On Pentecost Sunday, May 26, 1539, Hernando de Soto sailed into Tampa Bay and named it “Bahia Espiritu Santo” (Holy Spirit Bay). A decade later it is believed that the famed Dominican missionary, Father Luis de Cancer, was martyred nearby after spending 6 weeks in the area in an attempt to spread the Gospel among the native peoples. The stained glass window over the main doors pays tribute to Father de Cancer. Twenty years later, St. Augustine founder, Pedro Menendez de Aviles came here with a fleet of ships, leaving a captain, 30 soldiers and a Jesuit priest who erected a chapel with the intention of ministering to the native Tocabaga. The mission had to be abandoned within a few years because of hostility and distance. Nearly 400 years later, the present parish was established on this knoll overlooking Old Tampa Bay, close to the site of the ancient Spanish mission on Bahia Espiritu Santo.
Marker Number: None
Date: None
County: Pinellas
Marker Type: Plaque
Sponsored or placed by: Diocese of St. Petersburg
Website: Not listed
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