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Shrine
Mary, Queen of Martyrsfollowing Beatification:
Mary, Queen of Martyrs of La Florida“America, as we well know, has ever been a hero-worshipping country. Our national heroes, explorers, navigators, soldiers, our great educational leaders, our scientists and poets – all are enshrined in our halls of fame. But what of our spiritual heroes, our saints, our martyrs…? Have we no care for them, no shrines to their memory? Are they not too worthy of honor?”
--Bishop John Mark Gannon
Chair, Commission for the US Martyrs, 1957“Our hope is that this place will be a spiritual blessing for many who come to pray and to learn about those who gave their lives to bring and to establish the Faith in our lands.”
--Chris Stavres
President, Martyrs of LaFlorida Missions
Petitioner in the Cause for Beatification
Invitation
Would you like to be a part of building something of beauty that will inspire and bring others closer to Christ for many years to come?
The Martyrs ministry seeks benefactors to visit the site in Tallahassee to discuss plans for the shrine. If you would like to visit and consider assistance, please email secretary@martyrsoflafloridamissions.org . Thank you!
Donations of all sizes are treasured. Would you like to donate for an engraved brick? Your brick will be placed on the site, displayed now with others, and planned to be included as part of the Martyrs Garden.
Shrine Plans include a Oratory, Museum, Gift Shop, Martyrs Garden and Outdoor Stations of the Cross.Oratory
The heart of the shrine is envisioned to be a beautiful oratory dedicated to St. Joseph. St. Joseph was the patron saint of converted Indians. St. Joseph was also a favorite of lead martyr, Antonio.
“…the said Cacique Antonio…would say that he had to be like Saint Joseph to be a good cacique (chief) so that his people will be a single and holy family.”
The oratory at the shrine is envisioned to be influenced by Native and Spanish architectural expressions.
Above is an example of this architecture.
What would they have built, had they the means?
Museum
On the site for the shrine, there is a mansion listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is striking and inviting but in need of restoration. Plans include restoring the building and through narrative painting, artifacts and documents, opening it to the public as the Museo de Francisco. Through this museum, pilgrims and visitors will learn the story of our nation’s almost forgotten martyrs.
The Martyrs of La Florida Missions organization has been offered a $250,000 matching grant to restore the mansion. We are praying for a match and are grateful for help.
secretary@martyrsoflafloridamissions.orgMartyrs Garden
A ‘Martyrs Garden’ is envisioned to adorn the area outside the planned oratory. Bricks from donors are planned to be included along with bricks with the names of the martyrs of La Florida.
A radiant and colorful garden will represent the wonderful historic name La Florida. The martyrs names included throughout the garden will call to mind this sentiment,
“Though you, Florida, abound in violets and acanthus, your flourish cannot match that of your martyrs.”
—Gerard Montanus (1584–1632)
Stations of the CrossPlans include outdoor Stations of the Cross, placed across the acreage to allow pilgrims time to walk and pray. One of the native martyrs, tied to and tortured on an outdoor Station of the Cross, proclaimed of his own suffering, that his Lord Jesus suffered much more for him.
History of the Shrine Effort
The seventy-eight acre parcel of land on the east side of Tallahassee renewed the centuries-old canonization effort for the martyrs of La Florida.
Bishop Rene Gracida purchased land nearby this site in the early 1980’s to build a shrine in memory of the martyrs (as he also took steps to formally open the canonization). Interestingly, the group of individuals who were to continue Bishop Gracida’s effort began to do so without knowledge of Bishop Gracida’s project, and with almost no knowledge about the martyrs themselves. They stumbled on the martyrdom and mission history in an effort to understand the history of this land. Learning of Bishop Gracida’s efforts, for both beatification and a shrine, provided tremendous encouragement for the effort, and continues to do so today.
The land is now set aside to be the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Martyrs (following the beatification of the martyrs, the shrine will be renamed, Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Martyrs of La Florida). A small group of lay Catholics secured the land with the bank, while others formed the board of the non-profit in hopes of purchasing the land and establishing the shrine. Bishop Ricard included the ministry in the Official Catholic Directory. It is now incorporated as the Martyrs of La Florida Missions. On August 22, 2012, Bishop Gregory Parkes blessed the land and the effort to remember the martyrs, all for the glory of God.
On August 28, 2017, Bishop Bill Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee, now bishop leading the beatification effort, blessed the land and effort.
Status of Shrine
The Martyrs of La Florida ministry continues to pray, hope and plan. When benefactors provide assistance, the Martyrs organization, in planned phases, will purchase the land from the holding families (all holding costs are donated), restore the mansion as a museum, build the oratory with martyrs garden and the outdoor Stations of the Cross.
Location and Significance of the Site
This peaceful land is located along the old mission road, El Camino Real. Primary documents indicate that on or near this land, just west of the land that once was Mission San Pedro y Pablo de Patale , site of the martyrdom of Fr. Mendoza and his native sacristan, the Last Battle was fought and lost for the Catholic Missions and the Faith in Apalachee (Tallahassee). Servant of God, Baltasar Francisco, was captured at this last stand, tied to an outdoor Cross that surrounded the mission plaza, and was tortured and killed. All the while, he proclaimed the Faith from the cross. Following the devastating loss, the missions would fall like dominoes east across El Camino and the voice of the faithful would be silenced.
Yet, God remembers His faithful ones and takes delight in his saints. And the land tells a compelling story, not lost on visitors today. Although the wait for benefactors is long and difficult, the Lord has abundantly blessed this effort.
On a beautiful afternoon on October 12, 2015 the land hosted the opening of the beatification cause. There gathered four bishops, fifty priests and hundreds of lay people, exuberant that God’s day has come and that the faithful martyrs’ love and perseverance is coming to be known across the land.