Historical Significance of Early American Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage began in St. Augustine, Florida, where on September 8, 1583, the Feast of the

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a mass of thanksgiving, was celebrated by Spanish

explorers and settlers upon their arrival, followed by a feast shared with the local

Saloi tribe.

This historical event, accompanied by many others, attests to the strong, though largely

unknown, Eucharistic heritage of the United States of America.