Catholic Boston

Strange as it may seem today, until 1780 it was illegal to practice Catholicism in Massachusetts, and even then scarcely tolerated, the first public Mass not being celebrated until eight years later. By 1808, so much progress had been made that Pope Pius VII created the Diocese of Boston, which then encompassed all of New England. The community continued to grow throughout the 19th century and by the early 20th century was a significant part of the Boston community. The Catholic community h...