The Catholic community that grew around St Ambrose Parish beginning in the early
1800's was bound by more than a common faith; many members of the parish were also
kinfolk. Descended from the Minorcan clan who had lived in St Augustine since the
1700's, these intertwined families migrated inland to find farmland, settling 12
miles southwest of St Augustine at Moccasin Branch.
Priests from St. Augustine served
the parish until 1860. Then, Father Henry Peter Clavreul arrived from France to minister
to the settlement, and to other Catholic enclaves in southwestern St. Johns County.
During this period, the Moccasin Branch faithful attended Mass at a barn on the Solano
farm. In 1875, Father Clavreul's successor, Father Stephen Langlade, built the first
St Ambrose Church. A skilled carpenter, Father Langlade was architect and contractor
on the project. Parishioners provided labor and a quota of five pine trees per family.
From 1881 to 1948, a two-room school operated by the Sisters of St Joesph from St
Augustine educated generations of parish children. By the early 1900's, the community
had outgrown Father Langlade's hand-hewn building. The "new" St Ambrose Church was
finished in 1907. It has served the parish ever since.
History of St. Ambrose Church
Saturdays 5:00 pm
Sundays 9:00 am and 11:00 am
Daily Mass Monday, Tuesday, and Friday at 8am.
Wednesday at 6pm with confession from 5-5:30pm
Thursday at 9am is children's mass followed by adoration
Confessions on Saturday from 4-4:30pm or by appointment
Adoration each first Friday of the month - 8:30am until 7pm
Thursday of each month at 10am
Information
Regular Mass Times
Monthly Calendars
Bulletins
Location
Located in west central St. Johns County just 6 miles west of I-95 and about 10 miles west of
St. Augustine.
6070 Church Road
Elkton, FL 32033
(904) 692-1366
Fax: (904) 692-1136
Email: choffice1@windstream.net