Goshenhoppen
Bally, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Re-named Bally for Father Augustin Bally. The third Roman Catholic mission and first Catholic school in the State were established here in 1743 by Father Theodore Schneider.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1743 the Jesuit priest Theodore Schneider established a Catholic mission at Goshenhoppen, founding the third Catholic mission and the first Catholic school in colonial Pennsylvania—remarkable in an era when public Catholic worship was banned in most of British America. The community later took the name Bally to honor Father Augustin Bally, a long-serving pastor. William Penn's promise of religious tolerance made such a foothold possible here.
Why it matters
It marks an early exercise of religious freedom and Catholic education in America, decades before that liberty was guaranteed nationwide.
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Related people
- · Father Theodore Schneider
- · Father Augustin Bally
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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