I was so blessed to be able to attend Solemn Vespers at the Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine tonight as our parish held the Reception of the Relic of Saint Augustine. My son was one of the altar servers, the Cross Bearer.  I did not use a flash tonight in order to uphold the reverence of this vespers so the photos may appear 'grainy'. 

With the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine and the establishment of Catholicism in the United States being celebrated this summer, the Diocese of St. Augustine announced , after talks with the Vatican and Italy, a relic of Augustine of Hippo, the theologian the city was named after, will be featured on the First Coast. 

Father Thomas Willis, the Pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine, held Vespers on July 7th at 7 PM welcoming the reliquary, part of the Vatican Treasury, to the diocese:

“What a wonderful gift this is to have a major relic come to the city, parish and cathedral that bears the name of one of history’s most notable and intellectual people,” said Father Willis on Wednesday. “Augustine of Hippo is known among Christians as the ‘sinner turned saint.’ His story of conversion to God is so relevant to our contemporary era.

“To have this significant relic on loan to the diocese and the Cathedral Basilica during our Jubilee Year, celebrating the 450th anniversary of the founding of America’s first parish, is, indeed, a blessing,” added Father Willis. “I hope that many people will come and make a pilgrimage to the cathedral, ask our patron for his intercession and be renewed in the beauty of the Catholic faith that Augustine taught so well.”

Please enjoy this slideshow from tonight: