The First Catholic Parish in North America

Yesterday I stopped on my way south to have breakfast in St. Augustine.  But first, I decided to see if the Cathedral was open.  If nothing else, I could take pictures of the grounds:

What a wonderful statue: 

To my delight, the worship space was open.  When I ducked inside, I was blown away by the richness of the colors and the imagery--not just stained glass, but even ceiling panels:

Here is the view of the rear of the cathedral:

And a close up of the statue of the Virgin Mary:

The space had many focal points, which I've seen in other Catholic spaces, less so in Protestant spaces:

Each side had a different statue and space:

So did each of the crosspieces of the cathedral seating space:

I walked to the back of the church, but the restroom area was gated and locked.  Part of me understood--St. Augustine has plenty of public restrooms.  Part of me was sad.  But I was glad that I walked the whole perimeter:

I crossed myself with the holy water in the baptismal font.  I left feeling like I'd gotten an unexpected blessing.