St. Augustine, Fla. – The original headboard from the casket of the Founder of St. Augustine, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, will be formally returned to the Mission Nombre de Dios on Saturday, Sept. 8 as part of the 447th anniversary celebration of St. Augustine and the establishment of Christianity in what is now the United States. The headboard and casket are the only tangible artifacts related to Menéndez outside of Spain.
The headboard was placed on the casket when Menéndez was buried in Spain in 1574. On Aug. 12, 1924, Menéndez’ remains were removed from the casket and reinterred in a tomb at San Nicholas Catholic Church in Avilés, Spain. The casket and headboard were shipped to St. Augustine in October 1924 as a gift from the City of Avilés. The City of St. Augustine gave the casket and headboard to the Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine in 1940.
Over time, the symbols on the 438 year old headboard, representing Menéndez’ family ancestry, had darkened and some paint peeled as a result of a coating of wax and varnish applied in the 1920s to protect the piece. The Diocese of St. Augustine made a commitment to restore this valuable piece of history and it was sent to an art restoration studio in Miami.
The restored headboard will be carried in a procession after the reenactment of the Menéndez landing and celebration of Mass by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios on Saturday, Sept. 8. The procession will pause at the Prince of Peace Votive Church on the mission grounds for a talk by Dr. Timothy Johnson of Flagler College. The headboard will then be placed in the Mission Nombre de Dios Museum for permanent exhibition.
The City of St. Augustine’s 447th anniversary celebration begins at 10 a.m. and the event is open to the public at no charge.
The Founder’s Day events will occur at Mission Nombre de Dios, 27 Ocean Ave., St. Augustine, beginning at 10 a.m. in this order:
- Historical reenactment of Menéndez landing
- City Proclamation read by Mayor Joseph Bolles
- Mass celebrated by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez at the rustic altar
- Procession with the Menéndez headboard to Prince of Peace Votive Church
- Talk by Dr. Timothy Johnson entitled, “Franciscan Evangelical Fervor and La Florida”
- Procession of the headboard to the Mission Nombre de Dios Museum (next to the church)
For additional information, call Eric Johnson, director of the mission at (904) 824-2809 or email: ejohnson@missionandshrine.org.