Geographical expansiveness and historical genesis in both colonisation and immigration make the North American Catholic Church diverse and complex. While the USA, Canada, Greenland, Bermuda and Saint Pierre and Miquelon each manifest distinct characteristics, there remains, nevertheless, an enduring unity among Catholics on the continent. An outsider to the faith attending Mass one Sunday in Greenland and the next in the Southern United States would not find the experience notably different. A Catholic would feel at home whether worshipping on the island of Bermuda or on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In this regard, the Roman Catholic Church in North America is reflective of the universal Catholic Church.

Greenland

Leaving aside legends of St Brendan sailing to North America in the sixth century, historical accounts indicate that the first Catholic on the continent was Viking explorer Leif Erikson. Commanded by the King of Norway to bring Catholicism to Greenland, he, and an unnamed priest, established the first Catholic community there around 1000 ce. These colonies would soon become extinct and Roman Catholics would not return to Greenland until almost 1,000 years later. With colonisation by the Danish government came Lutheranism as the national religion. Following a declaration of religious freedom in 1953, a small Roman Catholic community was reestablished near the capital city, Nuuk. Today, it has only 50 registered members, around 0.2% of the population. Only four are native Greenlanders; the others are foreigners affiliated with the nearby US military base. All belong to Krist Konge Kirke (Christ the King Church) and are under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Copenhagen in Denmark. This includes a small convent of three sisters established in 1980 by the Sisters of Jesus.

The USA and Canada

The vast majority of North American Catholics live in the USA and Canada. In both countries, Catholics constitute the single largest religious community. The USA is home to more than 73.9 million Catholics, about 23% of the total population. The country is divided into 177 Latin Rite dioceses (including an Archdiocese for the Military) and 18 Eastern Catholic eparchies. A Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter serves Anglican clergy in both the USA and Canada who have joined the Roman communion while retaining elements of their Anglican heritage. Bishops number 433, of whom 15 are cardinals.