The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augstine

Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spanish soldiers and colonists  brought their Catholic faith with them when St. Augustine was established in 1565.





The Cathedral Basilica of
Saint Augustine, built in
from 1793 to 1797, is the
fourth Catholic house of
worship in St. Augustine.









The previous churches succumbed to fire and lack of maintenance in Northern Florida's hot, damp climate.

When The Holy See designated St. Augustine a Diocese in 1870, the Church of St. Augustine was raised to the level of Cathedral.

Stained glass windows line

the walls, above the

Stations of the Cross.

A visitor lights a candle in a devotional area.

A close up of one of the
Cathedral's devotional
areas.











A fire on April 12, 1887 badly damaged the building.  The exterior was salvageable and a national campaign was established to rebuild the interior.  The reconstructed church was expanded, with a Transept.

A trio of stained glass

windows in the Transept

of the Cathedral.

The Altar







The beams are decorated with a gold pattern, leaving the ceiling exposed.

Looking towards the doors

 of the Cathedral.

In 1977 Pope Paul VI elevated the Cathedral to minor Basilica, in recognition of the oldest Catholic community in United States.