Oldest Catholic Church in U.S.?

[stevem1]

If the question is: What is the oldest and currently active Catholic Church in the United States,the answer would have to be the one located in St. Augustine, Florida. If you think back on history this was definitely a very early part of the United States and the same cannot be said for what is currently the state of New Mexico. If you remember from history, the state of New Mexico didn’t even become a part of the U.S. until the Louisiana purchase was implemented.

 

[jordan]

MooCowSteph:

Hello All!
I live the the Baltimore Archdiocese and I know that the Basilica of the Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary baltimorebasilica.org/index2.html is the oldest cathedral in the country, but probably not the oldest church.

Very nice cathedral, excellent website…I like the expanding icons. Yet another tidbit…Thanks, Steph.
James_2:24:

Maybe by now our mindest is so different… but I still fail to understand how one can even treat a slave “fairly”. It seems like an impossible thing to do. How do you treat another human being in fairness while at the same time owning him/her? Also, it should’ve been clear to the Church that slavery is a sort of “stealing”. The stealing of ones life and ones wages. Making them do work for next to nothing when the Bible tells us the worker is worth his wages…

Even in a vastly different “mindset” I do not see how they can justify it in any time or place and reconcile that with Christianity. I don’t know what kind of “mindset” that is Christian, will at the same time condone this behavior

James, you may want to start another thread with this. I’ve read a lot of stuff, but I’m not a font of knowledge here. Here’s what CCC says:

2414 The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason - selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian - lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. St. Paul directed a Christian master to treat his Christian slave “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, …both in the flesh and in the Lord.” (Philem 16)

Over the years, particularly with the colonization of the new world, the popes have spoken out clearly against the institution of slavery…but that didn’t always stop the colonizers from taking advantage of people anyway. Let’s hope that these priests in old Maryland who had slaves treated them as beloved brothers.

 

[jordan]

stevem1:

If the question is: What is the oldest and currently active Catholic Church in the United States,the answer would have to be the one located in St. Augustine, Florida. If you think back on history this was definitely a very early part of the United States and the same cannot be said for what is currently the state of New Mexico. If you remember from history, the state of New Mexico didn’t even become a part of the U.S. until the Louisiana purchase was implemented.

St. Augustine was also founded by the Spanish, and it was Spanish territory long after its founding. The subject question is however, “Oldest Catholic Church in U.S. ???,” and not, “Oldest Catholic Church Built in the U.S.” I would personally be interested in the answer to that question as well.

 

[Brendan]

The oldest continuous parish is St. Anne du Detroit in Detroit. The parish was founded in 1701. It’s been through 4 churches in that time though

 

[Maccabees]

Even in a vastly different “mindset” I do not see how they can justify it in any time or place and reconcile that with Christianity. I don’t know what kind of “mindset” that is Christian, will at the same time condone this behavior
I read the website of the church you are making a big deal about it says the priests served slaves not that they had slaves. That’s a big difference. Need I remind you that almost all of the slaveholders in this country were anglo-protestants. The slave trade was condemned in the middle ages by the Popes of that era. In fact thebishops in the new world would hide docucments given to them by Rome as they were hustled by the RIch Land Owners to ignore their sin. The orders from the big man and the big house were right but it was not effective in reaching lands 3 to 6 thousand miles away remeber this is before the time of airplanes and instant communication. No email or tv of express postal service to give the latest pronouncement.

 

[autdrew]

St Anne’s in Detroit is considered the 2nd oldest continues Catholic parish in the United States. It was founded shortly after Detroit settlement in 1701 by the French. St Augustine is the oldest within the US but the New Mexico claim brings up questions Baltimore was the 1st established Archdiocese & Maryland was specifically established as a Catholic colony. They welcomed everyone who was tossed out of other communities regardless of religious affiliation. The newcomers outnumbered the old & the Catholics lost control of their own community & I read were even outlawed for a time. In the original GA constitution, Catholicism was declared illegal. They were worried about those darn Spanish in FL crossing over & they didnt want them practicing that “popish” stuff.
I read a very good book awhile back that I cant find again. It was called the History of the Catholic Church in America (of something like that) It was written in the 70’s by a Catholic & was hundreds of pages. Very informative.

 

[JimG]

Maybe by now our mindest is so different… but I still fail to understand how one can even treat a slave “fairly”. It seems like an impossible thing to do. How do you treat another human being in fairness while at the same time owning him/her? Also, it should’ve been clear to the Church that slavery is a sort of “stealing”. The stealing of ones life and ones wages. Making them do work for next to nothing when the Bible tells us the worker is worth his wages…

Even in a vastly different “mindset” I do not see how they can justify it in any time or place and reconcile that with Christianity. I don’t know what kind of “mindset” that is Christian, will at the same time condone this behavior

Recall the circumstances of the writing of Paul’s letter to Philemon. Philomen was a wealthy Christian who owned slaves. One of them, Onesimus, ran away and came to Paul. Paul sent him back to Philemon.