The Sacred Acre - February 23, 2023

It’s a special time for Christians. A time to reflect and a time to grow closer to God. Each year I look to be inspired, so I can approach the season with a new hope and a new fervor. And our Lord never disappoints.

Yesterday, Ash Wednesday, I attended noon Mass at Our Lady of La Leche in our nation's oldest city, St. Augustine. Our Lady of La Leche is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a statue of her breastfeeding the infant Jesus. The site is also the first shrine to the Blessed Mother. Her presence seems to hover in the blue skies above and her humble spirit is palpable in the chapels dedicated to her. This is also the site of the first parish Mass which was offered at a “rustic makeshift altar” on August 25, 1565, when Admiral Pedro Menendez and his fleet of five ships first saw Florida. Because it was the feast day of St. Augustine, he named his first settlement after the saint.

“My ultimate object and desire is to procure that Florida be settled in perpetuity so that the holy gospel be extended and planted in these provinces.” -Pedro Menendez

The museum in the main building which houses the church contains 450 years of history. It’s not large but is impressive nonetheless and several knowledgeable guides are there to share it with you and answer any questions.

The main church itself is intimate and lovely, but the immaculate grounds are a peaceful refuge they call “The Sacred Acre.” Despite it being a tourist stop on the city trolley, it maintains its reverent and welcoming atmosphere. A gleaming stainless steel cross reaches 208 feet into the sky. The tallest free-standing cross in the western hemisphere, it was erected in 1965 to celebrate the city’s 400th birthday. It stands on the edge of the property, the Matanzas Bay behind it. My favorite place to view the cross is across the bridge in the quaint surfing town of Vilano Beach. From the fishing pier, the cross soars high into the sky and is most striking when purple, pink and orange hues are left behind after sunset.

I’ve often recited the Stations of the Cross, but never with the heavens as a roof. In front of the cross, there’s a curving white walkway bordered with crushed shells. Around it is wood carved station markers and inviting benches for resting. Walking the way of the cross outside, the clouds above me and the breeze blowing off the bay made me feel that heaven was just a little bit closer to the earth.

The most moving visit for me was the Chapel of Nuestra de La Leche y Buen Parto – the shrine of Our Lady. A tiny, ivy, covered building, nestled among oak and cedar trees, it houses the statue of Our Lady of La Leche. Nearby, below a mission bell, is a statue of St. Peter holding the keys of the kingdom. When I opened the dark wooden door and walked in, the deafening stillness washed over me and settled like a cozy fleece blanket. I knelt in one of the few wooden pews, sun peeking through narrow, multicolored stained-glass windows, with my eyes on Mary. I felt so comforted, I didn’t want to leave. It’s the kind of place where you feel so good, you just keep wanting to go back. And that I will do, many times before my stay here is over.

There are many other items of note on the property, but what is most present is the feeling you get when you are here and the people you encounter. The guides open doors for you with a warmth and a smile, ready to offer information on all the services happening – Mass, Confessions, The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Stations and more. Three priests celebrate Mass and greet you as you walk the grounds. You can sense the presence of God in the air. You can feel the pleas and prayers of the people.

As for searching for inspiration for this Lenten Season, I certainly found it here, at The Sacred Acre.