St. Francis of Assisi - St. Augustine, FL
N 29° 54.297 W 081° 18.927
17R E 469546 N 3308294
This statue of St. Francis of Assisi is located at the Mission of Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WM9WED
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/05/2010
Views: 9
Smithsonian Inventory Description: "St. Francis stands barefoot with a mustache and goatee, wearing a Franciscan habit, with his arms folded in front of his chest. The figure is mounted on a multitiered stepped base."
A sign adjacent to the statue reads: St. Francis of Assisi 1181-1226/This shrine erected by the Diocese of St. Augustine to recognize the Missionary Labors of countless Franciscan Priests, Brothers and Sisters in this territory from the first Spanish period to our day./October 1981.
This statue of St. Francis of Assisi is located at the Mission of Nombre de Dios, which traces its origins to the founding of the City of St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, in 1565. On September 8, 1565, Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed and proclaimed this site for Spain and the Church. It was here that Menendez knelt to kiss a wooden cross presented to him by Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, chaplain of his expedition. It was on these grounds that Fr. Lopez would celebrate the first parish Mass and begin the work at America’s first Mission. It was at this sacred spot that the Spanish settlers would begin the devotion to Our Lady of La Leche that continues into the present.
The Mission of Nombre de Dios is a very lovely and peaceful location in St. Augustine and well worth a visit. The site is the location of shrines and statues all amidst beautiful trees and vegetation. Also at this location is a 208-foot tall Great Cross that was erected in 1965 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first parish mass. Be sure to make a stop here if you're ever in the area.