Answer?

[RevelationWriter]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

If you mean to "America" as in the continents, it's the Spanish explorers because they were the first Europeans over here.

If you mean "America" as in the US (or its colonies before that), St. Augustine, FL, is the oldest established city in the US, so that may be considered the site of the first US Catholic Church, too. And that would also be the Spaniards.

Not far behind is probably Maryland because of Lord Baltimore, as noted above, setting up a colony where people of the Catholic faith could freely worship. However, it looks as if there was an early Catholic Church in Philadelphia around the same time. St. Peter's Church, the oldest Catholic parish in New York City, was officially established in 1785, but Catholics from France, Ireland, and Spain had been meeting for mass before that in private homes.

So, the Spanish were first, but there were probably Catholic communities being established throughout the colonies simultaneously as people from different countries began to settle in the New World.

~ I've another question:

Since The Pilgrams founded The Plymouth Colony in 1620,
would that mean The Protestant religion was here first?

Thanks -

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by RevelationWriter

~ I've another question:

Since The Pilgrams founded The Plymouth Colony in 1620,
would that mean The Protestant religion was here first?

Thanks -

It depends on what you mean by "here". Massachusetts? Probably! The East Coast of what is now the United States? No. Ponce de Leon was in Florida in 1513, and he was a Catholic.

[Terryj]

Originally Posted by RevelationWriter

~ I've another question:

Since The Pilgrams founded The Plymouth Colony in 1620,
would that mean The Protestant religion was here first?

Thanks -

The Plymouth colony was founded by "Puritans" who were escaping the control of the Church of England. So more than likely they were of the Protestant belief system.

Plymouth may have been the oldest town in New England, however by the time they arrive there were a number of towns already established along the eastern seaboard.
Hampton, VA 1610
Newport News, VA 1613
Albany, NY 1614

The oldest city in the U.S is St. Augustine, FL founded in 1565. However, if we include Puerto Rico, then it would have to be San Juan founded in 1521.

[Julian658]

Originally Posted by Terryj

The Plymouth colony was founded by "Puritans" who were escaping the control of the Church of England. So more than likely they were of the Protestant belief system.

Plymouth may have been the oldest town in New England, however by the time they arrive there were a number of towns already established along the eastern seaboard.
Hampton, VA 1610
Newport News, VA 1613
Albany, NY 1614

The oldest city in the U.S is St. Augustine, FL founded in 1565. However, if we include Puerto Rico, then it would have to be San Juan founded in 1521.

Jamestown was probably the 1st one in 1605.

The Spanish fortresses in St. Augustine and San Juan are identical in architecture.

[RevelationWriter]

Intersting, thanks so much.