Saint Thomas More Academy Students Visit Saint Augustine, FL

The Sacred Acre

The 5th- 8th made sure that they had their field trip notebooks with them as they all climbed into the vans and set off towards the oldest city in the United States. The first stop was at the Nombre de Dios mission and Our Lady of la Leche Shrine. Walking down the path to the site of the first landing and adoration of the Holy Cross by Pedro Menendez, the students were able to read the different tombstones, noting that those buried here were from the 1800s. Under Fr. Elias’s leadership, we were able to pray especially for the poor souls, hoping to obtain the special graces during the octave of November 2nd. There was another unexpected visitor there that day – a peacock was sitting on the side of the path near Fr. Lopez’s statue, and the children were captivated by its beautiful colors and immobility.

Castillo San Marco

From the Shrine we proceeded to the Castillo de San Marcos, the ancient Spanish fort dedicated to St. Mark. The children marveled at the soldiers’ way of life – a hardboard for a bed, which was shared with five or six other soldiers in what would probably be very hot and humid weather much of the time did not seem appealing to them! The chapel was also a neat site, and the students remarked the location of one small room as far away from the altar as was possible, most likely to ensure the security of the tabernacle in time of siege or attack. Visiting the upper level, the students were able to marvel at the cannons, and note the distance the smaller ones could shoot, as they could see the lighthouse one of those cannons would be able to hit from the fort.

Cathedral Basilica Saint Augustin

The next stop, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, took us on a little walk down St. George Street. The students enjoyed marveling at the many old buildings and shops along the way. Inside the Cathedral Basilica, we were immediately awed by its size and color. The tiles, our tour guide informed us, were made by Cuban refugees, whereas the ceiling was painted red to honor the Spanish royal family. The stained glass windows told the life of St. Augustine, and the side chapel of the Blessed Sacrament holds a bone relic of the saint. The children were especially intrigued by the ombrellino and the tintinnabulum – the umbrella and papal bell located on either side of the main altar. These were symbols of the cathedral’s elevation to a basilica, and are put into use when the Pope comes to visit. The ombrellino is partially open because the parishioners are hopeful that he will come soon! The children also marveled at the coats of arms decorating the beams of the ceiling, each the coat of arms of the former bishops of St. Augustine.

A Good Day

Students and teachers alike were thrilled with the field trip to St. Augustine. Several are excited to be able to see the same sites on the annual pilgrimage, especially now that they know more about the places. They eagerly await information about the next field trip!