Cathedral Basilica

What Cathedral Basilica does

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is a Roman Catholic cathedral parish located in St. Augustine, Florida, operating as "The First Parish" — the oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in the United States, with origins dating to 1565 and the current church building opened in 1797. It serves as the episcopal seat of the Diocese of St. Augustine, which covers Northeast Florida and encompasses nearly 180,000 Catholics. The parish operates five locations: the Cathedral Basilica at 38 Cathedral Place, St. Benedict the Moor Church in the historic Lincolnville neighborhood, the Cathedral Parish School (K-8), the Bosco House youth facility, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, and church offices at 35 Treasury Street. Staffed by 17 employees under pastor Fr. John Tetlow, the parish is governed by the Diocese of St. Augustine and operates as a 501(c)-equivalent nonprofit religious organization.

The parish delivers a portfolio of liturgical, educational, and visitor services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include daily and weekend Mass, the full range of Catholic sacraments (baptism, reconciliation, confirmation, first communion, weddings, anointing of the sick), OCIA/RCIA faith formation, religious education K-12, youth ministry, women's Bible study, and a music ministry featuring multiple choirs and a concert series. Visitor-facing services include behind-the-scenes Cathedral tours (sold through Old Town Trolley of St. Augustine), a Bell Tower Gift Shop, a virtual tour, and a free parking shuttle. Underlying technology consists of standard off-the-shelf platforms: Streamspot for livestreaming Mass, Parishsoft Giving (FaithDirect FL144) for electronic donations, Flocknote for parish communications, and FORMED.org for Catholic content. No proprietary software, API, or AI capability exists.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: recurring monthly electronic donations and one-time offertory gifts from registered parishioners, wedding ceremony fees ($500 for parishioners of 1+ year, $1,500 for newer registrants, $4,000 for outside-Diocese couples plus organist/cantor fees), tour revenue ($18 adults, $12 children), gift shop sales, and capital campaign fundraising. A 2024-2025 capital campaign "A Blessed Past, A Building for the Future" has raised over $3 million for rectory renovation. Customer segments are three: registered parishioners (primary, defined by zip codes 32080/32082/32084/32086/32092/32095/32033), visitors and pilgrims to St. Augustine, and individuals seeking to become Catholic. GTM motion is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, pastoral outreach, religious education, and pilgrimage tourism.

Name

Cathedral Basilica

Legal name

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine

Website

https://thefirstparish.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1797

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is America's First Parish, a 450-year-old Catholic cathedral serving registered parishioners, visitors, and pilgrims in Northeast Florida with Mass, sacraments, schools, and heritage tourism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Parish Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators (THAKAHAB)

Keywords

• Catholic parish services
• Sacramental celebrations
• Religious education programs
• Cathedral historical tours
• Liturgical music programs

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Augustine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Parish Donations and Offerings: Regular donations from registered parishioners supporting cathedral operations, historic preservation, and ministry programs. Electronic giving through Parishsoft Giving with monthly recurring options.
2. Capital Campaign Donations: Funds raised for specific projects such as the rectory renovation campaign that raised over $3 million
3. Gift Shop Sales: Revenue from sale of religious items, books, jewelry, rosaries, and Cathedral-exclusive merchandise
4. Wedding and Event Fees: Fees for wedding ceremonies ranging from $500-$4,000 based on parishioner status, plus music personnel fees and rental income from parish facilities
5. Tour Revenue: Behind-the-Scenes Tours sold through Old Town Trolley at $18 for adults and $12 for children ages 6-12

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine provides Catholic liturgical services including daily and Sunday Masses, the seven sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony), and confession schedules. The parish also operates guided historical cathedral tours, a Bell Tower gift shop, religious education for children and adults (including OCIA for those entering the Catholic faith), youth ministry, a Catholic parish school, music programs and concerts, a livestream worship channel, electronic giving, and a capital campaign for facility restoration.

Product overview

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine operates as a Catholic cathedral parish — America's First Parish — offering a portfolio of spiritual, educational, and visitor services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings center on daily and weekend Mass and sacramental celebrations (baptism, reconciliation, confirmation, first communion, weddings, anointing of the sick). The parish runs OCIA formation for those entering the Catholic faith, youth ministry through the Bosco House, women's Bible study, and associated Catholic schools (Cathedral Early Learning Center, Cathedral Parish School VPK–8, St. Joseph Academy 9–12). Visitor-facing services include behind-the-scenes Cathedral tours, pilgrimages, a Bell Tower Gift Shop, a virtual tour, and a parking shuttle for weekend Masses. Music ministry includes multiple choirs and a concert series. The parish conducts capital campaigns for facility renovation and accepts electronic donations through Parishsoft Giving. No AI, API, or software product is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cathedral Bell Tower Gift Shop: On-site gift shop selling religious items, books, jewelry, and souvenirs located inside the Cathedral Basilica.
• National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

Products and services

• Mass Services and Liturgical Worship

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 180,000 Catholics in the Diocese of St. Augustine

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Parishsoft Giving (FaithDirect)coreTechnology or IntegrationElectronic giving platform partner for online donations, recurring offerings, and one-time gifts. Provides secure payment processing and personalized offertory cards for donors.
• Old Town Trolley of St. AugustinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized ticket seller for Behind-the-Scenes Cathedral Tours. Tours sold at $18 adults, $12 children ages 6-12 through trustedtours.com and store.trustedtours.com.
• Old Town Trolley of St. AugustineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides free parking shuttle service on Saturdays and Sundays for 5pm Mass attendees from Cathedral Parish School to the Cathedral.
• FORMED.orgcoreTechnology or IntegrationParish subscription to online Catholic content platform featuring videos, audio talks, eBooks, and movies from Augustine Institute, St. Paul Center, Marian Fathers, and other trusted partners.
• Diocese of St. AugustinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of St. Augustine, which covers Northeast Florida and serves nearly 180,000 Catholics. Bishop provides governance and episcopal oversight.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Newark): Mother church of the Archdiocese of Newark and a minor basilica. Comparable as a seat-of-diocese cathedral operating historic worship, education programs, tours, and heritage tourism in a regional U.S. market.
• Old Mission Santa Barbara: Active parish and California Royal Mission with museum, tours, gift shop, and historic cemetery. Comparable as a continuously operating historic Catholic site combining parish ministry with paid heritage tourism.
• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: America's largest Catholic church and a minor basilica in Washington, D.C. Most directly comparable as a U.S. minor basilica operating as both an active worship site and a national pilgrimage destination with tours, gift shop, and museum-like exhibits.
• Mission San Juan Capistrano: Historic California mission and basilica. Comparable as a 250+ year-old Catholic heritage site operating dual functions of active worship and major tourism destination with paid tours, gift shop, and pilgrimage programming.
• St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York): Iconic Catholic cathedral and minor basilica in NYC. Comparable as a historic urban cathedral serving as a tourist destination, wedding venue, and active parish with tours, gift shop, electronic giving, and a heritage tourism channel.
• Mission Nombre de Dios: Adjacent historic Catholic mission site in St. Augustine that houses the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche and is directly referenced as a partner site in Cathedral Basilica's own portfolio — the closest geographic and operational peer.

Others

• FORMED (Augustine Institute): Catholic digital content platform the parish subscribes to for online faith formation. Comparable as an enabling technology partner that extends the parish's educational and formation offering beyond physical attendance.

Regional players

• Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine: Heritage tourism operator that resells the Cathedral's behind-the-scenes tours. Comparable as the distribution channel for the Cathedral's tour product and a partner in the local pilgrimage ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles): Modern mother church of the largest U.S. Catholic archdiocese. Comparable as a large active cathedral operating electronic giving, livestream, music programs, and school partnerships.
• The Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota): Mother church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Comparable as a large-scale diocesan cathedral with active worship, school, music programs, and capital campaign fundraising for historic preservation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClDfXQ5weA6KxuH1cQFbfLg
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefirstparish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cathedral-basilica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cathedral Basilica