Some aspects of the history of the Catholic Church in the US in the first part of the 20th century

Abstract

This article deals with the history of Catholicism in the United States after 1919 until the election of John F. Kennedy as the first Catholic to the White House. Those years were full of changes both for the Catholics and for the United States, as well. During this time, Catholics tripled their numbers, rising from 5% of the population to 16%. They considered themselves strong enough to nominate their own candidate in the presidential election of 1928. They lost that year, but they did eventually win in 1961. The Catholic clergy often supported poor people, educated them and organized missions. Not only they used the press to have a greater impact in society, but also new inventions such as radio and television. Catholic colleges became more and more prestigious, and Catholicism was becoming accepted by a large part of Protestants. Famous people from the world of show business, politics and sport also contributed to this (Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Stan Musial and John F. Kennedy). Kennedy’s victory was a real turning point for the American mentality.