Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Captain General of the Indies fleet, sent by Philip II of Spain to Florida to colonize and share Christianity with the American natives, landed here at the village of Seloy on September 8, 1565, the Feast of the Birth of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Having claimed the land for Spain and given thanks to God for a safe journey, Menendez hosted a dinner for his company and the villagers of Seloy.

He called the place Nombre de Dios – Name of God – and caused to be erected here the first Christian mission to Native Americans.

This plaque displays a third of the mission sites that served “la Florida.” They followed the coastline from the keys to the Chesapeake Bay. Inland they extended to Pensacola.

The First Treaty of Paris in 1763 required Spain to cede Florida to England and thereby ended the first Spanish period with its missions. We salute the lay missionaries, the Jesuits and the Franciscans and the Diocesan clergy whose prayers and zeal put the missions in being. We salute as well the energy and faith of Pedro Menendez who presided over their founding at the beginning. We admire the wisdom and charity of Philip II who proposed and financed them from his own means.

The text in the lower right hand corner reads:

Erected May 5 1996
The 125th Anniversary Year of
The Diocese of St. Augustine
Through the Generous Assistance of
The Florida State Council
Knights of Columbus
The Most Reverend John J. Snyder D.D.
Bishop of Saint Augustine