The Catholic history of Boston, Massachusetts:
Boston went from being one of the most anti-Catholic cities in colonial America to the heart of American Catholicism by the early 20th century. The city was founded in 1630 by English Puritans who were fiercely anti-Catholic.
Catholicism was illegal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony until the American Revolution, and even after that the state constitution discriminated against Catholics. The first public Mass in Boston was not celebrated until 1788, after Massachusetts ratified the U.S. Constitution and religious liberty improved.
Small numbers of Irish immigrants (predominantly Catholic) begin arriving in 1845–1855, driven from home by The Great Famine (An Gorta Mór), swelling the population from just a few hundred to over 50,000. In 1788, Holy Cross Church (later Cathedral of the Holy Cross) was dedicated in a small building. St. Augustine’s (South Boston), Saint Mary’s (North End), and other churches were built during this time for Irish immigrants.
There was an Anti-Catholic Backlash in 1834, notably the burning of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown by a Protestant mob. The rise of the Know-Nothing (American) Party (whose members were anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic, driven by nativist sentiments and fears that new immigrants, particularly from Ireland and Germany, would influence American politics and culture), which dominated Massachusetts politics, and anti-immigrant laws. Despite hostility, the Catholic community grew rapidly.
The Catholic Church became the largest single denomination in Massachusetts by the 1850s.The Era of Great Archbishops (1866–1944) Boston produced several of the most powerful and influential Catholic leaders in U.S. history: John J. Williams (1866–1907), First Archbishop of Boston, oversaw massive church-building campaign.
H. O’Connell (1907–1944): The most powerful Catholic prelate in America during his era. Known as “Number One” and “Gangplank Bill” (from his many trips to Rome).
At its height (roughly 1930–1960), the Archdiocese of Boston was arguably the most influential in the United States, with over 400 parishes, many with their own elementary school as well as institutions of higher educations such as Boston College, Boston College High, Catholic Memorial, Archbishop Williams, etc.
Catholic hospitals were also established: St. Elizabeth’s, Carney, St. Margaret’s, Holy Ghost (now closed).
Although Irish dominated, there were large French-Canadian, Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, and Portuguese parishes.
Irish Catholics dominated Boston city politics from the 1900s (John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, James Michael Curley) through the 20th century.
In the period of the 1960s through the 1980s as people moved to the suburbs, many ethnic parishes were closed. The Sexual Abuse Scandal centered in Boston (Spotlight investigation by The Boston Globe). Cardinal Bernard Law resigned in 2002; thousands of victims came forward and this to bankruptcy filings and massive decline in trust and attendance.
Cardinal Seán O’Malley (2003–2024) focused on healing and reform; succeeded by Richard Henning in 2024.
Notable Churches and Landmarks
Although The Archdiocese of Boston is still one of the ten largest in the U.S., it has consolidated from about 400 parishes to about 280 today, with many merged or closed. However, immigration from Latin America, Haiti, Brazil, Vietnam, and Africa has brought new life to many parishes.
Catholic places of interest in Boston, Massachusetts:
Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Famous for Tuesday novena devotions since 1870s.
Cathedral of the Holy Cross (1875): Largest Church in New England, mother church of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Gate of Heaven (South Boston): Classic Irish parish, childhood church of Whitey Bulger and many politicians.
Saint Cecilia Parish (Back Bay): Architectural gem, known for its music program.
Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (North End): First Italian parish in New England (1873).
Traveling to Boston, Massachusetts:
Boston has a major international airport and is also served by AMTRAK trains. Boston has a comprehensive commuter train service run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which connects the city with numerous towns throughout eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island via its Commuter Rail system, which includes multiple lines with stations in downtown Boston like South Station and North Station.
Some of you Baby Boomers may remember The Kingston Trio Hit Song about the MTA
Boston has a cruise port called Flynn Cruiseport Boston, also known as the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal and is a major hub for various cruise lines that operate as both a home port and a port-of-call, offering voyages to destinations like Bermuda, Canada, and the Caribbean.