There’s an expression down South- maybe you’ve heard it.  It goes like this: “Even a blind pig can find an acorn every once in a while.”  Well sure enough, that is exactly what has happened!  In an attempt to spend some quality vacation time at the beach in conjunction with visiting America’s oldest European settlement and city, we have stumbled across America’s Most Sacred Acre.

Who would have known that a Catholic mission sent from Spain would give birth to the city of St. Augustine in 1565?   The travelers landed, celebrated mass, and established what would be our country’s first parish and Christian settlement.  Yes, before Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620) there was St. Augustine, and you can visit this historic city when you travel to the northeastern coast  of Florida.  The site of the landing is called Mission de Nombre de Dios, a lovely park area that boasts the rustic altar first used for mass, the first shrine in America built to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a 400 ft. high cross that commands the shoreline as you cross over the bridge toward the city.   About a mile from the park is the beautiful Cathedral standing at the original location of the first church built for the faithful.

Named for one of the most famous bishops and doctors of the Church, St. Augustine is a family-friendly town that is well worth a visit. If you break away from the typical tourist attractions and make your way to the Cathedral and to that most sacred acre at Mission de Nombre de Dios, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time to a crucial era in the history of the Christian faith in our country.  It will be hot-hot-hot in the summertime, though, so be prepared to sweat like a pig (pardon the expression) while you are out finding your acorn!

For more information on St. Augustine and America’s Most Sacred Acre, visit www.thefirstparish.org and www.missionandshrine.org

Chicks “A” and “B”