Carroll's 1785 Report on the American Church
- When
- 1785
- Where
- United States
In 1785 John Carroll reported 24,000 registered communicants, 90% in Maryland and Pennsylvania, amid a Catholic population of about 25,000.
Shortly after the prefecture's establishment, John Carroll reported 24,000 registered communicants, with roughly 90 percent living in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Contemporary estimates placed the total Catholic population at approximately 25,000—concentrated in Maryland (15,800), Pennsylvania (7,000), and New York (1,500)—served by only 25 priests, less than 2 percent of the population of the former Thirteen Colonies. These figures illustrate the small, regionally concentrated church the new prefecture was created to govern.
Sources
- Catholic Church in the United States Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
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