ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The St. Augustine community came together Saturday morning with ceremonies, mass, and reflection on the preservation and history of America’s oldest city.
St. Augustine was founded Sept. 8, 1565, and is still standing strong today. Founder’s Day is all about traditions: the music, attire, and reverence.
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Father Timothy Lindenfelser of St. Anastasia Catholic Church has been a part of this tradition for over 30 years, but the celebration itself has been kept alive for over 100 years.
“We remember how difficult, how hard it was for those early settlers, for the native peoples that were here, how they had to overcome differences,” Lindenfelser said.
The celebration goes beyond just acknowledging the history of Pedro Menendez and his troops’ landing in St. Augustine in the 16th century. Lindenselser said for a modern audience, it can apply similar principles in today’s divided world.
“So many different groups are afraid of one another, they look in fear of one another, and yet this celebration reminds us we’re all brothers and sisters,” he said.
Ashley Durand is the American Heritage Girl’s Troop FL-0106 coordinator. She drove her girls three hours from Tampa to be at the Founder’s Day to make connections on heritage, faith and history.
“This year, particularly for our troop, we are focusing on the history of Florida, to really teach our girls the Catholic history of Florida and to teach them to be patriotic of where they’re from,” Durand said.