When Catholics first came to this land that would become the United States, whether Irish (6th century), Norse (11th century), Scottish (14th), Spanish and French (16th), they came first with a missionary motive, and second as explorers and settlers. Though the leaders of numerous expeditions were themselves of the latter two categories, they always brought missionary priests/religious with them, primarily Franciscans, Dominicans, and members of the Society of Jesus (commonly known as Jesuits). When Catholic explorers came here they would always claim the land for Christ the King and His Blessed Mother and plant a cross demonstrating such. For example: the monks with the Prince Henry St. Clair expedition did such in 1398 after they landed at today's Louisberg Harbor in Cape Breton Island; Ponce de Leon with his missionary Dominican Friars on the Gulf Coast side of Florida in 1521; Esteban Gomez with his missionary priest in 1525 near today's White Haven, Maryland (he gave the original name to the Chesapeake Bay: Immaculate Conception Bay at that time); Lucas de Ayllon with two Dominican priests and one lay brother near today's Georgetown, South Carolina in 1526 (and then proceeded to establish the first European settlement in America following Columbus' expeditions: San Miguel de Guadalupe); Jacques Cartier in 1534 on today's Prince Edward Island, which he originally named St. Jean Island; Father Marcos de Nizzo with his missionary expedition in 1539 in today's New Mexico, who after erecting his large cross, then built an altar and offered the first known Holy Sacrifice of the Mass west of the Mississippi; Hernando de Soto's expedition (including twelve missionary priests) in 1540 along today's Florida panhandle, and many more after. But even more significant than planting a cross and claiming the land for Our Lord was when the very Sacrifice of Our Lord and Savior was sacramentally made present in this land we call America. When this occurred, then the redeeming Precious Blood of Christ was made present in this land. In a number of today's states it is not known when exactly the first Mass was offered. For example, when St. Brendan and his monks came to America in the 6th century (sometime during the reign of Pope John III, 561-574) and landed in New Hampshire, it is certain Holy Mass was offered, since at least St. Brendan was himself a priest. But when exactly, we do not know. Also, in Florida there were a number of attempts to establish missions in the early 1520s, but the local natives were too violent and hostile and those missions were either left unfinished or abandoned. Did any of the missionary priests offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on land before the mission was completed, or did they continue to offer Mass on the ship as was the custom until the mission was completed? We are not sure. Another example is Louisiana. It also is not know whether or not missionary priests with the Cabeza de Vaca expedition offered Mass while traveling west along the coast through Louisiana, for some sacred vessels were lost when their ship was wrecked. If they were able to, then the first Mass there would have been offered sometime around 1529-30. If they did not (other than a "dry Mass"), then the first Mass was most likely offered a century and a half later in 1682. Nevertheless, this listing is provided for those states where we do know when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was first offered. As will be clearly shown, this was a land of Catholics long before any Protestant -English or French- established any settlements.
STATE YEAR WHO Rhode Island: 1398 Monk with the Prince Henry St. Clair settlement Alabama: 1519 Missionary priests on the Alonso de Pinada Expedition Maryland: 1525 Chaplain for Estaban Gomez expedition Virginia: 1526 Fr. Antonio Montesino, O.P. (De Allyon expedition) South Carolina: 1526 Fr. Montesino (St. Michael de Guadalupe) Mississippi: 1529 Priests on Cabeza de Vaca expedition Florida 1539 Missionary priests on De Soto expedition Arizona: 1539 Franciscans on Coronado expedition New Mexico 1539 Fr. Marcos de Nizzo, O.F.M. Texas 1540 Fr. Juan Padilla, O.F.M. (Coronado expedition) Kansas 1542 Fr. Juan Padilla, O.F.M. North Carolina 1566 Fr. Sabastian Montero (Carolina missions) Maine: 1570 Fr. Andrew Thevet, O.F.M. California 1602 Carmelite friars on Vizcaino expedition Tennessee: 1607 Fr. Francesco Parejo (from San Joseph de Sapala mission) Vermont 1615 Franciscan missionary from Quebec New York 1620s Jesuit missionaries under direction of Fr. John de Brebuf. S.J. Michigan 1660 Fr. Rene Menard, S.J. Wisconsin 1660-01 Fr. Rene Menard, S.J. Illinois 1673 Fr. Jacques Marquette, S.J. Minnesota 1680 Fr. Louis Hennepin, O.F.M. Louisiana 1682 Fr. Zenobius Membre (La Salle expedition) Indiana: 1686 Fr. Claude Allouez, S.J. (near present site of Notre Dame) Missouri: 1702 Fr. John Mermet, S.J. (near mouth of Ohio River) Oregan 1775 Fr. Miguel Campa, O.F.M. Kentucky: 1776 Fr. Stephen Badin (Bardstown) Utah 1776 Fr. Silvestre de Escalante, O.F.M. South Dakota 1795 Missionary priest on John Mackey expedition North Dakota 1795-96 (same as above) Iowa: 1832 Fr. John McMahon (Dubuque mission) Wyoming 1840 Fr. Pierre de Smet, S.J. (July 5th, at mouth of Laramie River)
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