Did you know that Florida and in fact what is now the Diocese of St. Petersburg had a very significant role in the history of the establishment of Catholicism in the New World?
As every school child knows, “Columbus sailed the blue in 1492,” but then what? Many people think that the Church’s history in Florida began with the establishment of St. Augustine in 1565. If that were true, it means that the Church did nothing for 73 years! Fortunately for us as Floridians, that is not true. There was much that was done and attempted during this intervening time, but unfortunately it is not that well known. In fact, there are many myths which persist to this day. This page will look at the truth of the early history of Florida. WARNING: Prepare to be surprized!
Discovery and Evangelization of the New World Christopher Columbus’ accidental discovery of the New World in October 1492 while in search for a new and shorter trade route to Asia had shock waves across Europe. The Spanish Crown in addition to seeing this as an opportunity to expand their holdings and increase their wealth and influence also saw this as an opportunity to spread the Catholic faith. The realization that these people had no knowledge of Christ began a tremendous missionary endeavor, the effects of which are still felt today. There were no priests with Columbus on his first voyage, but that would not be true on his subsequent voyages and the voyages of other explorers. The first Mass in the New World was celebrated on January 6, 1494 by Fray Bernal Buil on the Island of Hispaniola on Columbus’s second voyage. It was celebrated in temporary church that his crew had built. Coincidentally, Juan Ponce de Leon (who would discover the Florida peninsula 19 years later) was part of that voyage as well. While it is well known that the treatment of the native populations at the hands of soldiers, conquistadors, and opportunists was not often very Christ-like, there was at the same time a tremendous missionary outreach that was also underway. Countless priests and religious began traveling to the New World simply to save souls for Christ. Within ten years of Columbus’ initial discovery several dioceses were established on the Island of Hispaniola. By 1511 there were even more dioceses including Santo Domingo (the oldest continuous diocese in the New World) and one in Puerto Rico. Two years later as Florida was about to be discovered the first diocese in Cuba was established.
Discovery of Florida and the North American Continent After losing his governorship of the island of Puerto Rico to the son of Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon set out for spiritual and personal renewal. He had heard of a large and wealthy island named Bimini and decided to try to find it. His voyage led not to a large island, but in fact to the coast of the North American continent. On Palm Sunday April 2, 1513 Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of this new land (somewhere near the Melbourne area). Appropriate for the liturgical season, he named this new land Pascua de Florida. There were no priests on this expedition so mass was not celebrated. He had several encounters with the native population and sailed around the tip of the peninsula before returning to Puerto Rico. Ponce de Leon would return to Spain in order gain a commission to colonize La Florida. In the meantime Spanish exploration continued with their arrival in Mexico in 1517 and subsequent conquest of the Aztecs within a few years. In 1521, Ponce de Leon finally returned to Florida and landed somewhere on the Southwest Florida coast near present day Charlotte Harbor. This expedition included two ships with 200 men. He brought with him both diocesan and religious order priests. His expedition was attacked by the Calusa Indians and repulsed rather quickly. Ponce de Leon (who had been injured by a poisonous arrow and would die a month later) and the remaining survivors left quickly for Cuba. Though priests did make it ashore, it is not clear whether mass was celebrated on this expedition or not. Over the course of the next several years there were some brief exploratory Spanish contacts with Florida and the people that lived there. Though not in Florida, Luis Vasquez de Ayllon tried to establish a colony by the name of San Miguel (Virginia or Carolina area). There were two priests a lay brother that were part of this attempted colony. It only lasted several months before the winter and dwindling food supplies caused the colonists to return to Santo Domingo.
The Narvaez Expedition In 1528, Panfilo de Narvaez led a large expedition (600 colonists and soldiers) to Florida. He landed on the western coast the Pinellas peninsula. He brought a number of diocesan priests and five Franciscan priests to take care of the colonists’ spiritual needs and to evangelize the Indians. Father Juan Xuarez celebrated Easter Mass at St. Clement’s Point (Jungle Prada area of St. Petersburg today) on April 16, 1527. Unfortunately Narvaez' treachery in dealing with the Indians would hamper later missionary endeavors. In search of gold, Narvaez took a large expeditionary force northward (about 300-400 men), included in this group were priests and friars. Fearing their loss, the other colonists (priests in this group as well) boarded their ships and returned to Cuba after several weeks. Seven years later only four survivors of that large expeditionary force reached Mexico safely, including Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, who would later write a detailed account of this harrowing cross continental expedition. Mass ceased being celebrated when the last surviving priest of the expedition died.
The De Soto Expedition
A decade would pass before another attempt to colonize and evangelize Florida would materialize. In1539, Hernando de Soto led an expedition of 10 ships and 620 men (which included 12 priests) to Florida. It landed near present day Bradenton on May 25, 1539. Mass was celebrated most every day by the priests that were part of the expedition which would travel though the center of the peninsula. De Soto named Florida’s most beautiful bay, Bayia Espiritu Santo (Tampa Bay) in honor of the Holy Spirit. Though there were priests that were part of this endeavor, the main motive of this colonial attempt was wealth. Not unlike Narvaez before him, De Soto decided to head north in search of great wealth. For a time they set up camp in north central Florida before moving westward to the area of Florida occupied by the Apalachee Indians. In fact, the first documented Christmas Mass in the future United States took place while they were camped near present day Tallahassee in December of that same year. They would break camp in March 1540 and head north exploring what would later become Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. It is interested to note that all these expeditions with priests brought with them the necessary mass supplies (vestments, vessels, books, etc.).
The Heroic Missionary Journey of Father Luis de Cancer
Fr. Luis de Cancer de Barbastro, O.P was no stranger to missionary endeavors. In fact, he had tremendous success in what is now Guatemala. His approach was one of peace and respect instead of violence, fear, or intimidation. He had a great love for the native peoples he encountered and a fervent and noble desire to share the good news of salvation with everyone he encountered. Having heard of La Florida, De Cancer felt a burning desire to bring the gospel there. He enlisted the support of three other Domincan friars. In late spring 1549, the friars left Veracruz, Mexico aboard a ship called "Santa Maria de la Encina," arriving in Havana some days later. They stocked up on provisions and the Governor gave them a Christian Indian slave named Magdalena to be their translator. A few days after they arrived at the coast of western Florida, the Dominicans landed close to Espiritu Santo Bay. They were well received by the first Indians whom they met. This open welcome did not last long, however. After a few days, the Indians became more demanding and the missionaries had to appease them with presents. The Indians were closely observing them, and assessing their strength. Suddenly, the Indian interpreter, Magdalena, Fray Diego dela Tolosa, and the oblate brother Fuentes disappeared from the shore. When inquiring about them, they were told that they were visiting with the tribal chief and would be back soon. One of the sailors tried to reach shore and was violently apprehended by the natives. The next day some Indians approached the Dominicans with the intention of trading food for trinkets. Later that same day, a Spaniard -- who had been captured during the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539-43 and was kept as a slave by the Indians - approached them and notified them that the two friars had been killed. He reported that he had seen their tonsured scalps. The news caused turmoil among the sailors and missionaries who wanted to return to Mexico at once however, fray Luis de Cancer opposed this idea. He reminded his companions of their commitment to this missionary project. They continued on and captain steered the ship to Tampa Bay, where he knew that fresh water could be found. On June 24 Fr. Luis and Fr. Juan celebrated Mass on shore on the Feast of Corpus Christi. High winds and rough seas delayed his next move. On June 26, De Cancer risked his life in the rough waters, jumped overboard and swam ashore. As he arrived, he realized he was being watched by some Indians, who rapidly retreated to a small hill. Fr. Luis de Cancer fell to his knees and waited. On board, Fr. Gregorio called to him with a plea to come back, but fr. Luis stood up and approached the Indians on the small rise. As he arrived at the hill, an Indian came and grabbed him by the arm and then as the other Indians approached, one violently pulled off the hat he was wearing and another proceeded to hit him on the head with a wooden club. His last words were Adjuva me, Domine ("Help me, Lord"). The two surviving friars and the rest of the sailors left Tampa Bay two days later and returned to Mexico. There is a depiction of Father Luis de Cancer in a large stained glass window above the main doors at Espirito Santo, Safety Harbor. Each year, the Diocese of St. Petersburg awards the Father Luis de Cancer Distinguished Priestly Service Award in honor of the proto-martyr of Florida to a priest who best exemplify selfless and dedicated service to the people of God. Considered the Proto-Martyr of Florida, Fray Luis de Cancer is the first in a series of Dominican, Franciscan and Jesuit martyr missionaries who gave their lives in bringing the Gospel to the peoples of the Spanish Province of Florida.
The De Luna Colony of Pensacola Another decade would pass before another colonial or missionary attempt would be tried. In 1559, Tristan de Luna established what he hoped would be the first permanent colony in Pensacola. It was a large expedition with between 11-15 ships and about 1,500 soldiers and settlers. There were several Dominican priests in this group. Shortly after their arrival, the colony was hit by a hurricane which destroyed their ships and most of their provisions. For the next two years, the colony tried to make a go of it with bare resources. The priests there continued to offer mass and the other sacraments for the colonists and attempted some small missionary enterprises among the local inhabitants, By the end of 1561, it was determined that the colony could not survive and so the colony at Pensacola was abandoned. One of the priests, Fr. Domingo de la Anunciacion, was one of the last to leave.
The Establishment of St. Augustine After putting down a French settlement to the north (near present day Jacksonville), Pedro Mendez de Aviles sailed south to set up a colony for Spain. Having spotted land on August 28, 1565 (the Feast of St. Augustine), he named his new colony St. Augustine when he embarked 11 days later. On September 8, 1565, Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales chaplain of Menendez’ fleet celebrated the first mass in the St. Augustine area. Though mass had already been celebrated hundred and hundreds of times across the state of Florida by this point, this was the first mass of what would prove to be at permanent settlement. The area was named Nombre de Dios and from this mission many more would spring up throughout Florida. The church built for the colony would become the oldest parish in the continental United States. Though it was destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions, this same parish church would eventually become the Cathedral for St. Augustine - Florida’s first and oldest diocese in 1870.
The Florida Missions
While diocesan priests were in charge of the initial mission, Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine, Pedro Menendez soon sought assistance from the Jesuits. A small contingent of Jesuits was sent to Florida. One of the first to arrive, Fr. Pedro Martinez suffered martyrdom from fearful Indians who clubbed him to death October 6, 1566 on the sands of Fort George Island. Two other Jesuits, Father Juan Rogel and Brother Francisco de Villareal survived and, after spending a winter studying the language, proceeded to work among the Calusa tribe in southern Florida. In 1568 ten more Jesuits arrived to work in the Florida missions establishing stations among the Calusa (Ft. Myers), Tegesta (Miami), and Tocobaga (Tampa) tribes of the south and west coasts, while others began missions in what is today Georgia , South Carolina, and Virginia. These missions were not all that successful. The Indians they encountered were generally hostile and suspicious of their motives moreover the living conditions were very difficult. By 1573, the Jesuits had abandoned all their missions in Florida. Menendez made do with lay catechists, mostly military personnel, for the next few years. In 1578, Menedez was able to get the Franciscans to come to Florida to pick up the missionary work where the Jesuits had failed so miserably. They would remain in Florida for the next 185 years. The Franciscans decided to focus their efforts on the tribes in the northern part of Florida (Apalachee, Guale, & Ais) instead of on the southern tribes which were more hostile. Their work over the next century and a half would prove very successful. They would establish a chain of over forty missions that ran from St. Augustine to the Apalachicola River. It is estimated that over 100,000 Indians embraced Catholicism during this time. Unfortunately we have little to show from this period as most of these missions were destroyed by the English at the start of the 18th Century during Queen’s Anne’s War. Unlike the much later missions of Texas, Arizona, and California, the Florida missions were mainly constructed of wood and thatch, including the very large mission of San Luis (near present day Tallahassee).
Many priests and religious gave up everything to come to Florida centuries ago to share the faith that they had received from others under very difficult and challenging conditions. Some even gave their lives in this great and noble cause. We would do well to remember them as it is a debt that we owe them. Perhaps now the Lord is asking YOU to take up the cross that was first planted in the Florida soil and share the good news with those who now inhabit this peninsula. The conditions may have changed, but the challenge, the very same challenge Christ gave his apostles, remains: “Go preach the Gospel!”
Perhaps the next chapter of the Church's history in Florida will be written by the example of your life?
Christopher Columbus’ accidental discovery of the New World in October 1492 while in search for a new and shorter trade route to Asia had shock waves across Europe. The Spanish Crown in addition to seeing this as an opportunity to expand their holdings and increase their wealth and influence also saw this as an opportunity to spread the Catholic faith. The realization that these people had no knowledge of Christ began a tremendous missionary endeavor, the effects of which are still felt today. There were no priests with Columbus on his first voyage, but that would not be true on his subsequent voyages and the voyages of other explorers. The first Mass in the New World was celebrated on January 6, 1494 by Fray Bernal Buil on the Island of Hispaniola on Columbus’s second voyage. It was celebrated in temporary church that his crew had built. Coincidentally, Juan Ponce de Leon (who would discover the Florida peninsula 19 years later) was part of that voyage as well. While it is well known that the treatment of the native populations at the hands of soldiers, conquistadors, and opportunists was not often very Christ-like, there was at the same time a tremendous missionary outreach that was also underway. Countless priests and religious began traveling to the New World simply to save souls for Christ. Within ten years of Columbus’ initial discovery several dioceses were established on the Island of Hispaniola. By 1511 there were even more dioceses including Santo Domingo (the oldest continuous diocese in the New World) and one in Puerto Rico. Two years later as Florida was about to be discovered the first diocese in Cuba was established.
After losing his governorship of the island of Puerto Rico to the son of Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon set out for spiritual and personal renewal. He had heard of a large and wealthy island named Bimini and decided to try to find it. His voyage led not to a large island, but in fact to the coast of the North American continent. On Palm Sunday April 2, 1513 Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of this new land (somewhere near the Melbourne area). Appropriate for the liturgical season, he named this new land 
mass was celebrated on this expedition or not. Over the course of the next several years there were some brief exploratory Spanish contacts with Florida and the people that lived there. Though not in Florida, Luis Vasquez de Ayllon tried to establish a colony by the name of San Miguel (Virginia or Carolina area). There were two priests a lay brother that were part of this attempted colony. It only lasted several months before the winter and dwindling food supplies caused the colonists to return to Santo Domingo.
In 1528, Panfilo de Narvaez led a large expedition (600 colonists and soldiers) to Florida. He landed on the western coast the Pinellas peninsula. He brought a number of diocesan priests and five Franciscan priests to take care of the colonists’ spiritual needs and to evangelize the Indians. Father Juan Xuarez celebrated Easter Mass at St. Clement’s Point (Jungle Prada area of St. Petersburg today) on April 16, 1527. Unfortunately Narvaez' treachery in dealing with the Indians would hamper later missionary endeavors. In search of gold, Narvaez took a large expeditionary force northward (about 300-400 men), included in this group were priests and friars. Fearing their loss, the other colonists (priests in this group as well) boarded their ships and returned to Cuba after several weeks. Seven years later only four survivors of that large 
reach shore and was violently apprehended by the natives. The next day some Indians approached the Dominicans with the intention of trading food for trinkets. Later that same day, a Spaniard -- who had been captured during the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539-43 and was kept as a slave by the Indians - approached them and notified them that the two friars had been killed. He reported that he had seen their tonsured scalps. The news caused turmoil among the sailors and missionaries who wanted to return to Mexico at once however, fray Luis de Cancer opposed this idea. He reminded his companions of their commitment to this missionary project. They continued on and captain steered the ship to Tampa Bay, where he knew that fresh water could be found. On June 24 Fr. Luis and Fr. Juan celebrated Mass on shore on the Feast of Corpus Christi. High winds and rough seas delayed his next move. On June 26, De Cancer risked his life in the rough waters, jumped overboard and swam ashore. As he arrived, he realized he was being watched by some Indians, who rapidly retreated to a small hill. Fr. Luis de Cancer fell to his knees and waited. On board, Fr. Gregorio called to him with a plea to come back, but fr. Luis stood up and approached the Indians on the small rise. As he arrived at the hill, an Indian came and grabbed him by the arm and then as the other Indians approached, one violently pulled off the hat he was wearing and another proceeded to hit him on the head with a wooden club. His last words were 
Another decade would pass before another colonial or missionary attempt would be tried. In 1559, Tristan de Luna established what he hoped would be the first permanent colony in Pensacola. It was a large expedition with between 11-15 ships and about 1,500 soldiers and settlers. There were several Dominican priests in this group. Shortly after their arrival, the colony was hit by a hurricane which destroyed their ships and most of their provisions. For the next two years, the colony tried to make a go of it with bare resources. The priests there continued to offer mass and the other sacraments for the colonists and attempted some small missionary enterprises among the local inhabitants, By the end of 1561, it was determined that the colony could not survive and so the colony at Pensacola was abandoned. One of the priests, Fr. Domingo de la Anunciacion, was one of the last to leave.
After putting down a French settlement to the north (near present day Jacksonville), Pedro Mendez de Aviles sailed south to set up a colony for Spain. Having spotted land on August 28, 1565 (the Feast of St. Augustine), he named his new colony St. Augustine when he embarked 11 days later. On September 8, 1565, Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales chaplain of Menendez’ fleet celebrated the first mass in the St. Augustine area. 
settlement. The area was named Nombre de Dios and from this mission many more would spring up throughout Florida. The church built for the colony would become the oldest parish in the continental United States. Though it was destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions, this same parish church would eventually become the Cathedral for St. Augustine - Florida’s first and oldest diocese in 1870.
the southern tribes which were more hostile. Their work over the next century and a half would prove very successful. They would establish a chain of over forty missions that ran from St. Augustine to the Apalachicola River. It is estimated that over 100,000 Indians embraced Catholicism during this time. Unfortunately we have little to show from this period as most of these missions were destroyed by the English at the start of the 18th Century during Queen’s Anne’s War. Unlike the much later missions of Texas, Arizona, and California, the Florida missions were mainly constructed of wood and thatch, including the very large mission of San Luis (near present day Tallahassee).