225th anniversary of 1st US diocese
November 04, 2014
The Archdiocese of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States, commemorated its 225th anniversary on November 2.
Founded in 1789, the year George Washington assumed office, the Diocese of Baltimore was raised to the dignity of an archdiocese in 1808.
“In 1789, there were about 25,000 Catholics [in the United States], only a few priests, and a few churches, and most of these churches were in disrepair with little financial support in sight,” Archbishop William Lori said at the anniversary Mass.
Archbishop John Carroll “accepted the challenge of helping the Catholic Church make its way in a new republic that was itself an experiment in democracy and freedom; even so, Catholics would face an uphill climb in becoming part of this new society,” Archbishop Lori continued.
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