Churches in Massachusetts

Religious Landscape of Massachusetts

Massachusetts is one of the most historically significant states in American religious history, from the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth in 1620 to the Puritan establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Congregational churches that grew from those Puritan roots evolved into the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association, both of which maintain their national headquarters in the state. Today, however, the Catholic Church dominates Massachusetts numerically. The Archdiocese of Boston serves over 1.8 million Catholics, making it one of the largest in the nation. Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Hispanic Catholic communities give the state's parishes extraordinary ethnic diversity. The Episcopal Church has deep-rooted parishes throughout the state, and Harvard Divinity School, Boston University School of Theology, and Andover Newton Seminary make the state a center of theological education. Massachusetts has a relatively small evangelical presence compared to the national average, though non-denominational churches have grown in the suburbs. The state also has one of the largest Jewish populations in the country and growing Muslim and Hindu communities. Massachusetts's adherence rate of about 50% reflects strong Catholic identification even as active participation has declined in recent decades.