{I was referring to the structure of frontier brush arbor churches, BenKenobi. They were not Catholic, therefore there were no priests. There was oftentimes little close involvement by any denomination, as contact with more settled areas was infrequent at best.”
Depends on where you are on the frontier. In Texas, there were Spanish missions throughout Texas, well before the 19th century and the frontier.
In California, you had the same. Most of the settlement in CA grew up around the Spanish Missions there.
Elsewhere, there were French Missionaries all through the West. Many of the indians that the settlers encountered, depending on the tribe, spoke French, because of the French missions and missionaries. Sure, it wouldn’t be the same as it is now, but the Catholic church was very active throughout the west in starting missions. We just aren’t taught very much about this, because it would conflict with the rest of the stuff we learn in school. ;)
But, yes, it’s there. Plenty of French influence still if you know where to look.
You speak of the enemies of our Republic in the earliest years. I speak of the citizens of it.
That is a point of differentiation that is oftentimes lost upon Catholics. It’s little wonder, then, that your chosen church was viewed in a rather dim light at that time.
It was, and is, not merely a church but a foreign government, and one in support of monarchy. We fought two wars to free ourselves from monarchy, and the very monarchies you mention, Spain and France, had sought to subvert the people, first as English colonists and then on into nationhood.
It’s not exactly a minor point, and one you should be ashamed to be making as an American, regardless of your choice of religious affiliation, a choice by the way that this country had the then-novel idea of protecting and supporting.