The historical period in which the Roman Catholic Church was established in the United States is approximated to be in the 16th Century. The first group to bring Catholicism to the thirteen English colonies were the Spaniards, followed by the French. After the region was colonized by England, the British missionaries brought their influence and affirmed Catholicism in the thirteen British colonies. Roman Catholicism was established during the colonial period and the majority of the members were immigrants from Europe and Italy to settle in America. The missionaries targeted the vast populations in the thirteen English colonies that later merged to form the present United States of America. The congregation were composed of people who worked in the factories and farms. Church service was presided over by priests who were trained in special schools called seminaries. The seminarians consisted of men who were taught how to live a celibate life and serve the Roman Catholic Church for the glory of God. Young women were trained as nuns, and they too lived a celibate life serving in the church. Some nuns were trained as teachers and nurses who offered their services to the various mission schools and hospitals set up by the Catholic Church. Only after the Second World War did the catholic church decide to spread out and move outside of the cities to establish their presence in the rural areas. Through exploration voyages, the Spanish became the first group of missionaries to bring Catholicism into the United States. The missionaries came after the regions were colonized by the Spanish government for political and economic reasons. The Dominicans were the first Catholic missionary group to perform the first Catholic Mass in 1526, but the church has been present in America since 1513. The Spaniards brought the Christian religion before the formation of the Protestant church in 1517. The Spanish missionaries established schools and churches which contributed towards the growth of the church through giving and offering their service to the Church. Members of the church were allowed to bring farm product and animal gifts as support for the missionaries who stayed in the Parish Centers. In turn, the missionaries offered church services such as performing Catholic Mass, blessing the congregation, baptizing members of the church, anointing the sick and teaching the Catholic doctrine. After the Spanish colonists and missionaries had left America, the region was colonized by the French. The thirteen regions were referred to as French territories and the French missionaries moved in to establish Catholicism in the newly acquired territories. The first Catholic mission center was established in 1668 at Sault Ste. Marie in the State of Michigan. Establishment of mission centers in different colonial States followed in the years later. Some of the mission centers were established in the States of Illinois, Detroit, Michigan, and New Orleans. The French colonialists were involved in many activities ranging from religious, industrial, commercial, and leadership. The French colonies were ruled by a king who funded all the undertakings in various territories. However, under the French colonizers, the Catholic faith began to decline and continued significantly and members of the church failed to support the missionary priests and nuns. The English colonies were founded after the withdrawal of the French colonialists from the thirteen colonies. The Catholic missionaries established their presence in the thirteen English colonies by starting a province in Maryland. A great amount of work was done
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The main reason was that the Church and the State operated as one entity. Most of the government officials consisted of members of the Roman Catholic Church. The dominance of Roman Catholicism was a great threat to the political leaders since they could not make political actions that would go against the Catholic Church. The manner in which activities and government tasks were carried out was largely influenced by the fact that the Church had great influence on State matters. Political leaders had to consult with Church leaders before taking actions that might affect the activities of the Roman Catholic Church. It was a great stumbling block to the political system, since political leaders who wanted to run things differently could not manage without involving the Church
The main reason was that the Church and the State operated as one entity. Most of the government officials consisted of members of the Roman Catholic Church. The dominance of Roman Catholicism was a great threat to the political leaders since they could not make political actions that would go against the Catholic Church. The manner in which activities and government tasks were carried out was largely influenced by the fact that the Church had great influence on State matters. Political leaders had to consult with Church leaders before taking actions that might affect the activities of the Roman Catholic Church. It was a great stumbling block to the political system, since political leaders who wanted to run things differently could not manage without involving the Church