St. Augustine, Fl: Our Lady de La Leche at El Nombre de Dios Mission

There is no charge to visit this site but you can leave a donation. It is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary and this site is the birthplace of Christianity in the New World. The location of the shrine is known as 'the sacred acre'. Many expectant and hopeful mothers make the pilgrimage to this site to ask for the blessings of Mother Mary to conceive or to bless their unborn child. A prominent feature is the Great Cross that was erected to proclaim that this site is indeed where Christianity came to the New World; there is portion on site where there is a rustic altar built to show where the first mass in the New World took place (according to archaeological finds). On site there is also devotional statues to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and the Stations of the Cross.

The Great Cross

This is a memorial dedicates to Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales (what a mouthful). He was the chaplain on Pedro Menendez's expedition and the founding pastor of the St. Augustine parish. He celebrated the first Mass in this new colony on September 8, 1565. (A paraphrasing of the sign on the left.)

One of the many shrines on site

The sign says: 

"Following the civil war, the Sisters of St. Joseph came to St. Augustine to teach the liberated slaves. Interred in this holy ground are 6 members of their congregation".

The chapel to Our Lady de La Leche

The Rustic Altar where the first mass was held

The believed remains of a religious monument dates to the mid-1800's. Was discovered in 2009

The coffin of Menendez

What a strapping lad this Menendez was back in the day.

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Glendalough

Pronounced Glen-da-lock, written in Irish as Gleann dá Loch meaning the Glen of 2 lakes. Situated in Wicklow county among the Wicklow mountains. It is absolutely beautiful and serene if you walk the mountain paths and stay away from the popular trails. To arrive there I took a bus called the St. Kevin's bus service and it costs 20 euros to go, the bus picks up at 1130 daily in front of the Mansion House in Dublin. Since you have to buy your ticket on the bus and it isn't available for purchase online, you MUST ARRIVE 30 mins EARLY. This is important because once the bus fills up then there isn't another one until the next day. 

If you aren't aware St.Kevin founded a monastery in this location in the 500's. He was known for his closeness to nature with his companions being animals when he was a hermit. Overtime people would visit and it became a spot for a monastery.

The Round Tower

The Monastic Area

Mountain hiking

Upper Lake

Reefert's Church

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St.Kevin's Cell

View from St. Kevin's Cell

St. Kevin

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