St. Augustine will serve as the launching point for the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as organizers announced a new East Coast route that connects faith, history and national identity during the country’s 250th anniversary year.
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The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios was featured in the EWTN series Hidden Gems: Catholic Shrines Across America. Produced by renowned Catholic media personality Michael O’Neill—known nationwide as the “Miracle Hunter”—and hosted by Nell Andrzejewski, the series invited viewers into the rich history and heartfelt devotion found at America’s most treasured Catholic shrines.
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A welcome message from our Rector, Very Rev. Timothy Lindenfesler
Discover Tranquility: Celebrating our title as the United States’ Most Peaceful Place.
Every contribution helps ensure the shrine remains a place of faith, history and spiritual renewal.
We offer regular Mass times and special liturgies.
On September 8, 1565, Spanish Admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed on the shores of what is now St. Augustine, Florida, and claimed the land for both Spain and the Catholic faith. Accompanied by priests, he celebrated the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States.
From that moment, the Church’s mission of evangelization began in this new land. The missionaries who followed shared the Gospel with Indigenous peoples and established a lasting Catholic presence that continues to this day.
Mission Nombre de Dios and the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche stand as living witnesses to that sacred beginning. The Historic Chapel, Rustic Altar and Great Cross mark the site where faith first flourished on these shores and continue to draw pilgrims seeking grace, peace and renewal.
