About Tallahassee, Florida:
The history of Catholicism in Tallahassee starts with Hernando de Soto’s 1539 expedition, which wintered in the area and celebrated the first Christmas Mass in North America, marking an early Catholic presence. From 1656 to 1704, Mission San Luis served as a key mission, acting as the western capital of Spanish Florida with a mix of Apalachee and Spanish residents.
Mission San Luis was destroyed in 1704. Spain retained control of Florida until 1819, when it ceded East and West Florida to the United States under the Adams–Onís Treaty. Catholicism revived in the 1820s with the advent of French settlers.
leading to the construction of the Church of St. Mary in 1845, the first permanent church in Tallahassee. The community expanded, with Blessed Sacrament Church built in 1898. The Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, rooted in a 1930s student center, was completed in 1967 and became a co-cathedral in 1975 with the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee’s formation.
Catholic places of interest in Tallahassee, Florida
Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More: known for its beautiful architecture, welcoming atmosphere, and active parish life.
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church: traditional services and offers a range of Mass times, making it accessible for visitors, has Perpetual Adoration.
Good Shepherd Catholic Church: many Masses available
Mission San Luis de Apalachee: While not an active church today, it is a reconstructed 17th-century Spanish mission where Franciscan friars once ministered to the Apalachee people.
Saint Louis Catholic Church: many Masses available.
Traveling to Tallahassee, Florida:
By air: Tallahasse International Airport (TLH) has flights to several U.S. cities, primarily Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
By train: There is no train service to Tallahassee, The Amtrak line running through Tallahassee has been left vacant since Hurricane Katrina damaged the track from New Orleans to Florida’s capitol in 2005. As a result, residents must travel to nearby stations such as Jacksonville, Orlando, or Tampa to access Amtrak services.
Travelers can use the following Amtrak routes in Florida:
Silver Meteor: Travels from New York City to Miami, stopping in Jacksonville, Orlando, Winter Park, and West Palm Beach.
Silver Star: Similar to the Silver Meteor but includes additional stops such as Tampa, making it slightly longer.
Auto Train: Runs between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida, allowing passengers to transport their vehicles.
By car: Interstate 10 (I‑10) is the main interstate highway that serves Tallahassee, Florida. It runs east–west across the southern United States and is the easternmost section of a coast‑to‑coast Interstate, connecting the Pacific coast in California to the Atlantic coast in Florida.