Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

Milk and Good Childbirth in the first land of America

St. Augustine (United States) (1565-2019)

On September 8, 1565, the Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed in St. Augustine Bay, in present-day Florida. That same day, the first documented Catholic Mass in what would become the United States was celebrated there, at the site of the future Mission Nombre de Dios. It is a well-established fact: on that beach, before anywhere else in the country, the chalice was raised.

A few years later, the colonists wanted to have close to them the Virgin they so loved in Spain, especially in Madrid: Our Lady of the Milk and Good Childbirth, that tender image of Mary breastfeeding the Infant Jesus. At the beginning of the 17th century, a small chapel dedicated to her was built, considered the first Marian shrine in the United States. Reliable Catholic sources place its founding between 1609 and 1620; there is no readily available primary document that establishes the exact date, so it is best to speak cautiously of "the beginning of the 17th century."

Since colonial times, women who wished to conceive or have a safe delivery came to this chapel to pray for fertility, a peaceful pregnancy, and successful breastfeeding. This devotion is documented in local catechism: ordinary people sought the Virgin of the Milk's help with the most practical needs of family life. Today, votive offerings, photographs of babies, clothing, and medals are still left as thanksgiving for children born. These are stories of the people's faith, not canonically recognized miracles; but the living tradition that this Mother has helped so many families remains strong.

In 2019, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops elevated the site to the status of National Shrine, an announcement made by the then Bishop of St. Augustine, Felipe Estévez. This recognition boosted pilgrimages by families and Hispanics. Within the mission grounds is also a Rosary Garden, one of the most prominent places of prayer. While the Rosary is not believed to have originated from a specific apparition, it is practiced as an ordinary Marian devotion, beautifully rooted in such an ancient shrine.