Click below to learn more about the various efforts of the Diocese of St. Augustine.
Priests Rock Sold-out Concert at National Shrine
On Friday night, a packed audience filled the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios Church for a unique fundraiser, one led not by professional musicians but by priests.
Titled “The Sound of Love, Our Lady of La Leche,” the May 9 concert brought together clergy from across the diocese and even a friend from Canada for an evening of spiritual and heartfelt performances to raise funds for the shrine’s much-needed sound system upgrades.
The evening opened with a prayer led by Father Erlin Garcia, IIC, who then joined his colleague, Father Arcangel Lopez Burbano, IIC, who accompanied him on the guitar as he sang to the crowd. Both priests serve at the shrine.
“We were overwhelmed with the response,” said Catherine Sevilla, the shrine’s liturgical music minister. “We sold all 230 advance tickets and had even more people purchasing at the door—probably close to 300 by the night’s end.”
The event was a testament to the community’s generosity and musical talents cultivated in the seminary and beyond. Among the performers was Father Rafael Lavilla, pastor at St. John Paul II Parish in Jacksonville, who took the stage on guitar and vocals with a group of friends, including Father Alex Carandang of Resurrection Parish in Jacksonville.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 13 in the seminary,” said Father Lavilla. “After lunch or dinner, we’d grab our guitars and just hang out and play. Music has always been a part of our vocation.”
The program included a mix of spiritually resonant songs such as Lead Me, Lord, Lift Up Your Hands to God, and I Will Be Here, made popular by Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Father Carandang also performed Beautiful Things, a song he’s been singing since his early ministry days.
“Music is the language of the soul,” Father Carandang said. “It helps us connect to the sacredness of the liturgy and brings us closer to the divine.”
Adding to the night’s atmosphere was David Alday, a former seminarian and longtime Lavilla and Carandang friend who flew in from Toronto to accompany them on the keyboard. “These priests have been my childhood friends,” said Alday. “It’s a joy to support them and be a part of this.”
Joining the lineup was Father Matt King, pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish in Jacksonville, who brought his two sisters, Kaylee and Sarah, to round out a family band performance. “We grew up playing music together,” Father King said. “Back in seminary, I even had a band called Monsignor and Sons—like Mumford and Sons, but holier.”
Father King played acoustic guitar during the show, supported by his sisters on vocals and keyboard. Along with their other selections, the trio also led the crowd in a spirited rendition of the John Denver classic Country Roads, with many in the audience singing along.
“It was great to support the shrine and share music with such a loving and generous community,” Father King said.
The concert raised funds to replace the sound system inside the historic church and to purchase new equipment for outdoor services and events, which have been growing in popularity at the shrine.
“People love the shrine, they love Our Lady, and they responded generously,” Sevilla said. “Tonight was not just a fundraiser, it was a celebration of faith, friendship and music.”
If you would like to donate to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche for their sound system or anything else, email Jon Carres at jcarres@missionandshrine.org.
🖋️ & 📸 : Peter Willott
dosafl.com/2025/05/12/priests-rock-sold-out-concert-at-national-shrine/
Exploring the Documents of Vatican II
Mark your Calendar for June 9 @ 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
This series on the Vatican II documents, being provided by the Office of Christian Formation, will explore seven of the documents in a brief overview with application to being a Catholic Christian today’s society.
>> The presentations are all on Monday evenings in the Pilgrim Center at the National Shrine of our Lady of La Leche.
The sixteen documents of Vatican II are over 50 years old, but their impact reverberates in the Catholic Church just as loudly today. Pope St. John Paul II referred to them as, “a sure compass by which we take our bearings.”
Four of the documents are “Constitutions” which are solemn, authoritative, and binding teaching documents. Three of the documents are declarations or documents that interpret or modify Church law. Nine of the documents are decrees or orders/laws given for the good of the Church.
During this Jubilee of Hope, there is a call to revisit these important Church teachings and reflect on them more fully as we celebrate this year. A study of the documents of Vatican II is one of the ways to gain a plenary indulgence during this year. The normal conditions for obtaining an indulgence apply:
>> State of grace
>> Sacramental confession
>> Reception of Holy Communion
>> Prayer for the Pope’s intentions (usually an Our Father and a Hail Mary)
Have you gain a plenary indulgence in this year? If not, now is your chance. Join us on June 9th!
Florida’s Catholic Bishops Appeal for Mercy - dosafl.com/2025/05/08/floridas-bishops-urge-governor-desantis-to-spare-the-life-of-glen-rogers/
With the execution of Glen Rogers scheduled for May 15, Florida’s Catholic bishops have appealed to Gov. Ron DeSantis to spare his life and commute his sentence to life without parole.
Though Rogers is guilty of terrible crimes—including the 1995 murder of Tina Marie Cribbs—the bishops urge mercy, affirming the sanctity of all human life, even those who have caused great harm.
“Society should be protected from him; but the state need not kill him,” wrote Michael Sheedy of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Church opposes the death penalty, not in denial of justice, but in defense of human dignity and in hope of redemption.
Across Florida, Catholics will gather in prayer—for Rogers, his victims, their families, and for an end to the death penalty.
>> Prayer Vigils Planned for Thursday, May 15
As people of faith, we are called to pray for the dignity of every human life—those sentenced to death, those who suffer from violence and those who carry out the state’s decisions. On May 15, the following parishes and the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche of St. Augustine will host Eucharistic Adoration to offer prayers for mercy, healing and justice:
>> Santa Maria Del Mar Parish
Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, Flagler Beach, FL
Holy Hour at 8:00 a.m. followed by Mass at 9:00 a.m.
915 N. Central Ave., Flagler Beach 32136
>> St. Paul Parish – Riverside
St. Paul's Catholic Church
Main Church Adoration
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
2609 Park St., Jacksonville, FL 32204
>> St. Joseph Parish – Jacksonville
St. Joseph's Catholic Church Jacksonville
Cody Adoration Chapel
9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
4152 Loretto Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32258
>> National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche – St. Augustine
National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios
Exposition in Main Church: 1 to 3 p.m.
Historic Church: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
101 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
>> Corpus Christi Parish – St. Augustine
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
Adoration Chapel
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
6175 Datil Pepper Rd., St. Augustine, FL 32086
>> For more information, email Maureen Shilkunas at mshilkunas@dosafl.com.
#CatholicSocialTeaching #EndTheDeathPenalty #DignityOfLife #PrayForMercy #CatholicsForLife #RespectLife
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The Winter 2025 Issue
