The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine

History & Significance

Basilica · Est. Congregation founded 1565; present church completed 1797

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida, traces its parish to 1565, when Spanish founder Pedro Menendez de Aviles established the city and held Mass, making it the oldest Christian congregation in the contiguous United States. The current Spanish-design church was built 1793-1797 and dedicated in December 1797. In 1870 Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of St. Augustine and the church became its cathedral under first bishop Augustin Verot; Pope Paul VI elevated it to a minor basilica in 1976. It remains the cathedral of the Diocese of St. Augustine.

Spanish Colonial / Spanish Mission with Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival elements

• •Seat (cathedral) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, established 1870 by Pope Pius IX
• •Parish congregation dates to 1565, the oldest Christian congregation in the contiguous United States
• •Designated a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1976
• •Designated a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (No. 70000844)
• •Present church built 1793-1797 and dedicated in December 1797