Welcome to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at the Mission of Nombre de Dios!
Whether you are a Catholic pilgrim, a history buff or a casual tourist, you’ll find many things to engage you. Casago, based on Trip Advisor surveys, has recognized the Shrine as “America’s Most Peaceful Tourist Destination.”
Mission Nombre de Dios (Name of God) was established by the Spanish, who arrived on these shores on September 8, 1565. Under the command of General Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, they came to the New World from Spain, sent by King Philip II to establish a colony in La Florida.
They brought with them their devotion to Our Lady of La Leche, the nursing Madonna, and in the early 1600s, established a shrine to her. It is now the oldest Marian shrine in the United States and a pilgrimage site.
Pilgrims come from all parts of the world to pray at the Historic Chapel for her powerful intercession for fertility, their children’s health, the safe delivery of those expecting and many other needs. In 2019, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated Our Lady of La Leche as a national shrine.
The Great Cross, erected for the 400th anniversary in 1965, marks the site, known as the “sacred acre,” where Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales, whose statue stands beneath the Great Cross, celebrated the first parish Mass at a rustic wooden altar on the mission grounds.
You’ll find more history at the Shrine Museum, where you’ll find the casket of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, founder of St. Augustine and other treasures.
At the gift shop inside the museum, you’ll find gifts and mementos from your visit.
Throughout the site, you’ll find many opportunities for devotion. Pilgrim Masses are celebrated seven days a week at the Shrine Church. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Along the path of the Rosary Garden, you’ll see large beads to enable visitors to pray the rosary as they walk. For more specifics about opportunities for devotion, go here {link to PRAY menu}
A focal point of the National Shrine is the Historic Chapel, rebuilt between 1915 and 1918. Light a candle at the Pilgrim Center and spend a few moments in prayer. The Shrine also welcomes large tour groups and pilgrimages, which can meet at the Pilgrim Center. For more information about scheduling tours, contact Annmarie Skaggs at (904) 439-7253 or email
We hope you enjoy your visit!
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