The Foundation of the First Cathedral and the First Bishop of Colonia
On December 24, 1494, at the Fortress of the Conception in Vega Vieja, on the island of Hispaniola, the Columbuses, accompanied by a group of colonists from the second voyage, inaugurated the colony’s first cathedral. Bernat Boïl, a religious from Lleida appointed apostolic administrator of the new lands discovered by the Valencian pontiff Alexander VI, became the first de facto Catholic bishop of the New World. This event marked the beginning of a lasting relationship between the Catalan Church and the New World during the centuries of Hispanic domination and evangelization of native societies.
The Conquest of the Far West and the Catalan Presence
In early 1848, the United States completed the conquest of the former Mexican territories north of the Rio Grande and promoted a large immigration of Anglo-Saxon language and culture. In this context, the Catalan presence became evident in the appointment of the first bishops of several regions, such as Louisiana, Oregon, Florida, Texas and the Pacific coast, after the conquest and formation of the state of California in 1848 .
The Diocese of the Two Californias and the German Bishop
During the American-Mexican War, the Catalan missionary Josep Sadoc Alemany y Cunill was appointed bishop of the Diocese of the Two Californias in 1850. Alemany played a crucial role in the religious diversity of California, establishing parishes for several linguistic and ethnic communities in San Francisco.
The Diocese of Los Angeles and Bishops Amat and Mora
Tadeu Amat i Brusi, born in Barcelona in 1811, became the first bishop in the history of Los Angeles in 1855. After his death in 1878, the Catalan missionary Francesc Mora i Borrell, born in Gurb in 1827, take over as the second bishop in the history of Los Angeles, excelling in the expansion of new parishes and religious institutions.
The Diocese of Guam
The Catalan presence extended to the diocese of Guam, where the Catalan Capuchin Xavier Vilà i Mateu, born in Arenys de Mar in 1851, was named the first bishop in the island’s history. After his death in 1913, Agustí Bernaus i Serra, also Catalan, took over as bishop until his death in 1930.
