Were there any Catholic church buildings between 50AD - 300AD?

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Here’s what I got from the net:
The first catholic church built in Texas was Mission San Francisco de la Espada, it was built in 1690 and became a mission church in 1731
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Does that mean that there were no other Catholic Churches ever built?

The question I offered was too general–so I got a general picked-answer.

A second, more detailed, query brought forth:

Church buildings of the 2nd to 4th centuries, either excavated archaeologically or substantially preserved (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_church_buildings)

…you may want to fine tune your queries before you make them as you may have inadvertently seem to be following an anti-Catholic agenda (at least from the perspective that some, as I, have read).

Maran atha!

Angel
 
How could someone pose my question without seeming to be anti-Catholic ?

Thank you for your reply.
 
Well yes. But all Catholic means is from ancient Koine Greek “Kat Othulos”. Universal. To this day the official name of the Orthodox Church is the Orthodox Catholic Church. I did think of what you are saying when I wrote this and yes you are right. What I meant was the term Catholic as is mostly implied today wasn’t the same as it is now to most people.
 
Not to mention Antioch is part of the Orthodox Church now. Actually Antioch was one of the original Christian Churches established by St. Paul himself in Acts. But yes the writings of Ignatius are amazing and well any early church father.
 
My answer is not no,

These were Catholic Churches. There’s also a couple Cathedrals, specifically the Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral.
 
littlebird said:
So your answer is “NO” correct ? There were no churches between 50AD - 300AD that were called Catholic , or that used the word Catholic in the name of the church at that time ?
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There was no need to do that.

We only add words to our church names today because it’s necessary.

What is called “St Mary Catholic Church” in the phone book or on letterhead, or even on a legal document, is just a description that is added to distinguish it from other kinds of church buildings.

Officially, Catholic Church titles are simply “St Mary Church”

In the early centuries, people did not add adjectives to church names the way we do today. They simply said “Church of the Apostles” or “Church of St Thomas” etc. etc. So, you won’t find any archeological evidence of adjectives being used. Such descriptions would only be added in later centuries.
 
littlebird said:
ok. My apologies. I simply do not know how to ask a simple question.

I am not trying to do anything other than know what the first Catholic church was called that had the word “Catholic” in it’s name. I didnt realize that there would be no answer and that this would be such a monumental task.
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You’re trying to apply a modern day custom to ancient practice.

Ancient Church buildings did not get names with adjectives like we do today (at least in the U.S.)

Churches were simply named after saints or events (like Church of the Resurrection).

So, no, you will not find carved into an archway above a door, the words “St Thomas Catholic Church, built AD 290” They did not do that sort of thing in that time-period. Instead, we simply know that a particular building has always been called “St Thomas Church” and that it was built and used by Catholics.

A person walking around Jerusalem in the year 290 would NOT have read signs “St Thomas Catholic Church” or “St John Gnostic Church” or “Beth-El Reformed Jewish Synagogue.” They simply did not do that sort of thing.
 
Organised oppression of the early Christian church caused it to be an underground movement. Churches are recorded to have existed pre- 313 Ad in the catacombs in Europe, Catacombs of Rome, Greece. The cities of ancient Anatolia, Derinkuyu also had an Underground Cities.

Underground early Christian churches existed until the signing of the Edict of Milan 313 AD an agreement to treat Christians compassionately within the Roman Empire and the legalisation of Christianity.

Below early Christian art from Derinkuyu

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Hi!

I think it was more the follow up:
littlebird said:
So your answer is “NO” correct ? There were no churches between 50AD - 300AD that were called Catholic , or that used the word Catholic in the name of the church at that time ?
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It seems that you are dismissing the information that is being offered.

Since there was only one Church till the schisms (east-west; protestant) all references back to “Biblical” or “historical” Church is to the Catholic Church–this became the default since the term “Catholic” (Universal) was introduced during the 2nd to 3rd century.

Non-Catholics (and non-Christians) have the tendency of relegating all historical accounts to “void”–under the guise (excuse) that it cannot be known what has taken place or that the “Catholic Church” controls/controlled what was being said/understood/accepted/done.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
littlebird said:
Can anyone name any Catholic church building that existed between 50AD - 300 AD anywhere on Earth
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Not likely because of the SEVERE persecutions. UNLESS of course one can TERM the catacombs; “Churches.”

For those who might not know the RCC was severely persecuted by both the Jewish High Priest [Paul at first was one of their henchmen until his Conversion]. This Persecution ended in 325 Ad with Constantine’s EDICT of MILAN which granted freedom of religious practice to ALL religions; the RCC being the largest and most influential.

GBY
Patrick
 
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