Prince of Peace Votive Church

Prince of Peace Votive Church

A beautiful fountain graces the circled south entrance to the Mission grounds. To the right of the circle is the Prince of Peace Votive Church. The church was commissioned by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley and built in 1965 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mission. Prince of Peace is also a votive church dedicated to prayers that God would spare the world from atomic warfare during the Cold War. It is the only votive church in the diocese of St. Augustine and one of only a handful in the United States.

The former director of the Mission Nombre de Dios, historian Michael Gannon, oversaw the 1965 building project. The votive church was created by a Boston architectural firm. “It was the first modern church to be built from solid block St. Augustine coquina,” Dr. Gannon says. Unlike the nearby Castillo de San Marcos, also built of local coquina, the walls of Prince of Peace are marble-smooth, Dr. Gannon adds. “They were cut with diamond saws, so they have very few rough edges.”

Similar to the Castillo de San Marcos, a mile north of the mission grounds, the Prince of Peace Church is composed mostly of coquina stone (a natural rock formation consisting of limestone and small particles of broken seashells which form a strong building material).

Like the Castillo, the walls of the church are composed of solid blocks of coquina stone, rather than a mixture of coquina dust and cement seen in other constructions. This construction reminds the visitor of the strength of the Christian faith and prayer in the face of adversity.

Above the entrance to the Prince of Peace Church is an impressive, brightly colored window depicting the Holy Spirit. At present, this church is used for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament M-F 8-5, for some funerals and weddings, as well as Mass on some special occasions. There is no set schedule of Masses at the Prince of Peach Church.

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Light streaming through stained glass window
Beautiful stained glass window