Old St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1763, it is one of the nation's earliest Catholic churches and the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Pa. At a time of anti-Catholic sentiment in Colonial America, it symbolized the religious tolerance of Pa. that was later adopted in the US Constitution. The Continental Congress attended services several times as a sign of respect for the Catholic countries of France and Spain, America's allies during the Revolutionary War.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Founded in 1763, Old St. Mary's rose in a colonial city where anti-Catholic feeling still ran strong, standing as proof of the unusual tolerance William Penn had written into Pennsylvania's founding. As the first Roman Catholic cathedral in the colony, it welcomed worshippers at a time when their faith was suspect elsewhere in America. During the Revolution, members of the Continental Congress attended services here, honoring Catholic France and Spain, whose aid proved vital to the fight for independence.
Why it matters
It represents the fragile early experiment in religious tolerance that Pennsylvania pioneered and the nation later enshrined in the Constitution.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Powel Housenearby · 244 South 3rd Street
- Hill-Physick Housenearby · 321 South 4th Street
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial0.2 mi away
- Merchants' Exchange Building0.2 mi away · 143 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Living History Center0.2 mi away
- New Hall Military Museum0.2 mi away · Philadelphia
Attractions
- Carpenters' Hall0.2 mi away · 320 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- First Bank of the United States0.2 mi away · 120 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Second Bank of the United States0.2 mi away · 420 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- City Tavern0.2 mi away · 138 South 2nd Street
- Liberty Bell0.3 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- President's House0.4 mi away
Food & drink
- FRIEDA0.1 mi away · 320 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Franklin Social0.2 mi away · 401 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Buddakan0.2 mi away · 325 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Red Owl Tavern0.3 mi away · 433 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Olivier Cafe0.3 mi away · 50 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Talula's Garden0.3 mi away · 210 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Renaissance Philadelphia Downtown Hotel0.2 mi away · 401 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Philadelphia Marriott Old City0.3 mi away · 1 Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Thomas Bond House0.3 mi away · 129 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia
- Best Western Plus Independence Park Hotel0.3 mi away · 237 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Apple Hostels Philadelphia0.3 mi away · 32 South Bank Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Apple Hostels0.3 mi away · 33 Bank Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
John Penn - PLAQUE
Philadelphia, PA · est. 1932
This Philadelphia site was home to two of colonial Pennsylvania's last royal-era officials. John Penn — grandson of the colony's founder William Penn — lived here in the years before the Revolution as the province's final colonial governor. The same house later belonged to Benjamin Chew, the last colonial chief justice, whose long life bridged the transition from proprietary rule to independent statehood.
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In 1729, Jesuit priest Joseph Greaton established the earliest Catholic foundation in Pennsylvania, and by 1733 a church stood here in a colony that granted rare tolerance to Catholics. Greaton was for a time the only Catholic priest in Philadelphia. From this parish, Jesuits went on to found frontier missions in Adams and Berks counties and the first Catholic churches in New Jersey and Delaware.
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