History of Education and Development

The parish of the Cathedral dates back to the founding of St. Augustine in 1565, when Spanish settlers celebrated Mass after coming to the shore. The first parish church was recorded as being built in the southeast corner of today's square. Over the years, battles and fires have made changes to the location of the parish.

In 1786, the Spanish crown ordered the construction of a new parish church. The cornerstone was laid in 1793, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception opened in August 1797. The Diocese of St. Augustine was founded in 1870, and the parish church was raised to the level of the Cathedral. In 1887, a Moorish-style building was burned by a fire that came from a nearby building.

Thanks to the call of the congregation to raise funds, the cathedral was restored, expanded and opened in 1888. A bell tower was also built, adding to the grandeur of architecture. The cathedral remained almost the same, without a change in architecture by 1965, as the city approached the 400th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine. At the same time, the building was overhauled. As part of the jubilee, the church erected a 204-foot “ lighthouse of faith ”, which is visible from afar.

December 4, 1976 Pope Paul VI built the cathedral to the status of a secondary basilica. Today, the Basilica remains an impressive building, a majestic place to worship and a popular destination for visitors who come here to get acquainted with the rich history of St. Augustine.

Cathedral in modern times

The walls of the cathedral are decorated with exquisite frescoes that depict scenes from the history of the Catholic Church in the development of the New World. There are also stained glass windows showing scenes from the life of St. Augustine, after whom the city and church were named.

The Cathedral’s souvenir shop offers many religious items: rosaries, prayer books, bibles, medals, sacred prayer cards, CDs, scapulas and crucifixes. Guided tours of the cathedral are held daily. Guided tours are held throughout the day, and visitors can light candles at any time. Mass is served at 7 am from Monday to Saturday.

The cathedral offers sacraments, including the marriage of practicing Catholics, who undergo appropriate religious rites upon attaining majority.

You can order an interesting excursion to the cathedral in our American Butler agency.