Along the marshes of the Matanzas River, the shady, cedar and oak-canopied grounds of the Mission Nombre de Dios are often referred to as “America’s Most Sacred Acre.”
In addition to the Great Cross, the statue of Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, and the beautiful, ivy-covered Chapel of Our Lady of La Leche, memorials and religious plaques and numerous tombstones line shady paths.
Memorials include a rustic altar commemorating the first Mass celebrated here on September 8, 1565, a statue of St. Francis of Assisi recognizing the work and sacrifices of the Franciscan missionaries, a statue of St. Joseph, a bell tower, a fountain, several religious plaques, and monuments of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. In this same area are numerous tombstones dating from the 1800s, including those of some of the founding Sisters of St. Joseph.